Of Love and War
by Sandra Evans
Summary: Smuggler Aminta Jae goes on a journey throghout the galaxy, becomes a Jedi, falls in love, and nearly loses it all. Updated!
1. Chapter 1

Aminta Jae furrowed her brow slightly as her piece of charcoal slid across the crisp white paper of her sketchbook. She looked up briefly at her subject of interest, and then quickly turned her attention back to her sketch. Her caffa lay on a side table, forgotten for the moment as her artist's senses crowded away all coherent thought. Sometimes she hated loving art so much. Her subject was a handsome man, most likely in his late thirties. Normally, she wouldn't have paid him a second glance, but tonight his profile was rigid, his face taught. He was a man in pain, and that appealed to her. All of her drawings over the past few years had been of similar subjects.

So absorbed was she in her work that she didn't notice her friend, Leoma, until the woman laid a hand on her shoulder. Aminta jumped, and then glared at the dark-skinned woman standing behind her. "Busy. Go away," she mumbled, and turned her attention back towards her sketch.

Leoma laughed, and sat down next to Aminta instead of complying with her friend's wishes. "What are you drawing this time?" she asked as she drew her knees up to her chest and peeked over her friend's shoulder.

Aminta grunted something incoherent, but didn't look up from her work. She set her charcoal aside, and began smudging the marks the pencil left behind to shade the work. Remarkably, Leoma stayed relatively quiet for the next few minutes as she waited for her friend to finish, knowing that Aminta would be awful company until the sketch was complete. Aminta pulled her hand away, and studied the piece with a critical eye before smiling and giving a slight sigh of satisfaction. "You want to look?" she asked as she held the book out for her friend, careful not to smudge the clean area of the paper with the lead on her index and middle fingers.

Leoma grinned as she took the book from Aminta, waving off her friend's warning to "keep her grimy fingers off the masterpiece." She studied it for a few moments before handing it back to Aminta. "It's good…"

Aminta raised a brow as she took her sketchpad back from Leoma. "But…" the woman prompted, looking over the drawing for a mistake. She couldn't find one; it was a perfect likeness. Not that she was conceited; she thought that only just because she simply knew.

"It's depressing. Scratch that; it's very depressing. Honestly, how do you always seem to find a dark side to everything?" Leoma teased her friend, nudging Aminta's arm.

Aminta rolled her eyes, and put her sketchbook back into the large orange bag that lay at her feet. "You just don't know true art when you see it," she said with a smile, nudging Leoma back.

Leoma chuckled and shook her head before directing her gaze to the subjects of Aminta's drawing. "He's handsome," she said simply as she took a sip of her drink.

"So is he," Aminta said, nodding to a tall, well built, fair haired man. He looked far less intellectually stimulating than the man that Leoma had pointed out earlier. In fact, he looked as though he were fresh from the fields of Dantooine.

Leoma grinned as she took another sip of her drink. "He's not you're type," she stated firmly as she gazed over at him.

"How would you know?" Aminta asked with a slight frown as she reached for her mug of caffa.

"He's blonde," Leoma said simply, and turned her attention away from the man, and looked back to the subject of Aminta's drawing. "Now he, on the other hand, is your type."

"Oh really? And what, pray tell, makes you think that?" Aminta asked, feigning indignation. Her expression made Leoma laugh.

"Well, for one thing you've spent a good ten minutes staring at him," she began.

"He was the subject of my drawing!" Aminta protested, but Leoma continued as though she hadn't heard her.

"And he looks a great deal like your husband," she finished with a smile of triumph.

Aminta furrowed her brow as she looked at the man, comparing him with her mental image of Kael. Leoma was right; they did look similar. "Argh," Aminta grunted in defeat and glared over at her friend. "Fine, he's attractive," she muttered darkly as put the mug of her caffa to her lips. She winced and had to force it down when she realized that her drink was stone cold. "Lovely," she muttered under her breath as she rolled her eyes and set the cup back down.

Leoma laughed and shook her head; the action making the Telonisian ruby earrings s she wore bounce against the slim, dark column of her neck. Suddenly, the smile disappeared from her face as she looked past Aminta, and she cleared her throat. "I'll go get you another one. You're not good company if you don't have yourself a nice cup of caffa," she said lightly, trying to cover for her previous discomfort. However, Aminta did notice the red that stained her friend's brown cheeks.

Aminta frowned at her friend's strange behavior, but said nothing. After a moment's indecision, she reached for her mug of cold caffa again, ignoring the especially bitter taste as she sipped at it. _They really have to invent caffa that tastes good cold,_ she though grumpily as she took another sip and absently glanced around the mess hall. It was the one place where soldiers of all ranks came together and acted like friends. All of the ranks except for the Jedi, of course. The elite force-sensitives had their own mess hall on the upper floors of the Endar Spire, so that they wouldn't have to deal with the chaos of the soldiers. Out of the corner of her eye, Aminta caught sight of one of the soldiers heading over to her, and groaned when she saw his hair color…blonde. This one was going to be chock full of interesting conversation. _'Or maybe it's because of that damned Jedi code of theirs. They're not allowed to form relationships, and I doubt they'd start hitting on their own kind, but there are plenty of soldiers on this ship who are quite eager to pick up anything female that walks,_" she mused, catching another glimpse of the soldier that ambled over to her.

"Can I buy you a drink?" he asked, coming to stand directly behind her. The ex smuggler groaned inwardly, but allowed the corners of her mouth to turn up in a polite smile. "No thanks, I don't…"

"Drink." The soldier finished for her. Aminta could hear the amusement in his voice, and wondered whether or not he had approached her before. "At least, not alcoholic beverages," he continued when she glanced down at her cup of caffa.

"That's right," Aminta said, still refusing to turn around. She kept her smile though, informing him that she wasn't interested, but should he want to discuss something boring that she could block out, like politics, she was all ears.

"As I remember correctly, Jae, you drink an awful lot, and can do so without getting drunk either."

Aminta frowned, and whirled around to see who it was. A huge smile broke out on her face when she saw her old friend, Trask Ulgo, standing in front of her. "Trask!" she exclaimed, and threw her arms about his neck.

Trask laughed and returned her embrace. "It's good to see you too Ami. What's it been six, seven months?" he asked with a smile.

Aminta pulled away. "It has been a long time," she said quietly. "But when you're in my line of work, and several bounties have been placed on your head, you can't exactly stay in one space for too long," she said brightly.

"But here you are on a respectable mission, with the Republic no less. How many strings did you have to pull to get this job?"

"Actually, I didn't have to pull any strings at all. They recruited me," she paused at Trask's raised eyebrow, "Well I don't know why!" she said in response to his unspoken question, "and they even offered to have the bounties taken off my head if I complied. Heck, that sure got my attention. Having the Exchange tailing you is not exactly the most fun thing in the galaxy. So, here I am."

"That's quite a tale. Were it anyone else, I don't think I'd believe it, but strange things always did seem to happen around you."

"Yeah, well, that's why you like me so much," she said with an impish grin. "So, what got you landed on this miserable hunk of junk?" she asked, taking another sip of her Caffa, ignoring the bitter taste. _It's better cold than not having a cup at all,_ she thought absently. _Where is Leoma anyway? She should have gotten a cup by now._

"Well, not to brag or anything," Trask said with a twinkle in his eye that made Aminta certain that he was doing just that, "I came out a great victor in the last battle I was in, and they deemed me worthy to help protect the Jedi's bratty poster child." Trask had no love for the Jedi, something that both he and Aminta shared. They had both been far too hurt by the war that the Jedi had allowed them to suffer through to feel anything but animosity towards the order.

Aminta grinned broadly at him, and had to restrain her laughter. "The Jedi would be very offended if they heard you say that about Bastila, Ulgo. You definitely don't want to get on a Jedi's bad side."

"They're harmless enough. They're not allowed to put a saber in my gut simply from revenge. That goes against their code," he said mockingly.

"Don't get too close to one when you say that either. You might be challenged to spar with one of them."

"Like they could beat me?" he asked with a grin, and flexed. Aminta rolled her eyes and shook her head with a smile. _So like a man, _she thought.

Trask sobered suddenly. "So, how have you been Ami?" he asked, genuine concern alight in his eyes.

Aminta shifted uncomfortably in her seat. "Well, I've smuggled a few slaves out of captivity over the past few months, one of which being Vogga's favorite joy-girl. He put a pretty big bounty on my head after that, and I think that I had nearly every bounty hunter in the galaxy chasing after my little ship. That's one of the reasons that this mission was so appealing to me," she said with a light laugh to mask her discomfort.

Trask saw directly through her façade. "So, business has taken a turn for the worse, but that's not what I'm asking. I'm asking you how you are doing."

Aminta took another sip of caffa. "As well as can be expected, I suppose," she murmured, staring down into her drink. No tears choked her voice, just emptiness. She had cried out her reserve of tears years ago.

"You miss him a lot, don't you?" Trask asked her, putting a gentle hand on her forearm.

Aminta nodded and took another sip of her caffa, blinking back tears. "More than I can say," she said quietly. She set her cup down, and looked him straight in the eye. "How do you do it Trask? Your wife died the same day that my husband did, and it seems so easy for you just to move on. It's a constant struggle for me," she said quietly, her voice devoid of emotion. Trask had noticed that early on in their friendship; when she got emotional, she spoke in a dead, flat voice. It was more than just a little unnerving.

Trask sighed softly, and gently cupped her chin in his hand. "It's a struggle for me too, but I'm nearly as good as hiding it as you are," he said with a soft chuckle. What he said was true. When Aminta wanted to hide an emotion from a person, it was as though she erected a wall around her heart and features. No one would ever see what she didn't want them to. He smiled softly at her, and continued in a more sober tone of voice. "People told me that I'd never get over it, but that the pain would eventually go away. It doesn't. She's been gone three years, and the pain is still as hard to bear as it was when I put her in the grave."

"Feels about the same on this end," she said quietly, in the same dead voice as before. Then, suddenly, she laughed. "But at least you weren't holding a blaster to your head while you were dead drunk," she told him with a smile, mocking herself. Her gun had been on safety, and she couldn't figure out why she couldn't get the gun to shoot. Luckily, Trask had been there to pry the gun from her hands before she figured out what the problem was.

"Nah, I tried to overdose on stims, and found out how it feels after you lick a gizka. I'm not sure which is worse," he answered in an equally light tone.

"They're probably equally bad," she said, flashing him a smile. "So, how's Diera?" she asked, quickly changing the subject to Trask's nine year old daughter. Trask grinned.

"She's a handful that one, the spitting image of her mother, Gods rest her soul," he told Aminta. Trask's wife had been vacationing with a group of close friends on Telos when the planet had been destroyed, but had left their daughter in the care of her mother-in law. She was one of the thousands of the lives who were lost, leaving behind a grieving husband and a motherless daughter. That was one of the reasons that Aminta and Trask got along so well, despite their thirteen-year age difference. Trask had been through the same thing that she had, and Aminta drew solace from his experience and advice.

"She's staying with my mother right now. Here, I have a holo of her," Trask said, pulling a datapad from his pocket, and handed it to her. Aminta glanced down at the image of a little girl with copper hair, a face covered with freckles, and a quirky smile. She was adorable.

"She's grown up a lot since I saw her last. Amazing what a year can do to a child, isn't it?" she asked the man with a smile. "My sister has a daughter about her age. Niesha must grow a foot every time I see her. She looks just like I did when I was her age. My sister's upset about that," Aminta said with a wry grin.

Trask's grin grew broader. "I'll bet she is. She shouldn't be too upset though. After all, you were the one who got all of the looks in your family."

"Trask!" Aminta exclaimed. "My sister is gorgeous, and my brothers must be the most handsome men in the entire galaxy," she protested, quick to come to her sibling's defense. Although she had been exiled from her family when she was nineteen, and had rarely seen her siblings since, she was incredibly over-protective of them. They had defied her father's powerful influence in order to speak with her, and for that she was eternally grateful. "Good breeding you know," she said softly, mocking the words of her parents. "Father nearly had a heart attack when he learned that I had married someone from a different planet. The only thing that kept him from having a stroke was that since he had disowned me, I could not tarnish his great family name," she said, her voice gone flat again. "Mother disapproved, of course. She said that it would weaken my bloodline, as if I gave a hoot about my aristocratic ancestry. I do believe I would have been happier as a child if I would have been born into a family of nerf herders," she said, forcing a laugh.

"Well, from the holos that I've seen, I do believe that Kael certainly had enough looks and muscle to keep your line from thinning any. I'm sure that he wouldn't have made your children become nerf herders at any rate" he laughed. Her saw her crestfallen look, and immediately realized his mistake. "I'm sorry."

Aminta waved his apology away. "It's alright. Could you picture me as a mother? Why, I'd be the only smuggler that nursed while in a cockpit!" she told him with a grin, while she felt her heart tear within her. _If I would have had a child, I would have stayed with my mother in law, and I'd still have a piece of him here with me. If only Tasya…No! I will not think of her!_

Trask didn't see her inner struggle; her face betrayed none of her thoughts. He laughed heartily at the mental image that she had drawn him. He could see her with one hand on the controls, and the other cradling her child to her breast, while barking out orders over the comm. unit.

Trask checked his wrist chronometer. "My shift is starting now," he told her reluctantly as he stood up. When's yours start?"

"I have the night shift. As if you can tell when it's night or day while you're in space," Aminta looked down at her wrist chronometer as well. "If I head off to bed now, I'll make a good eight hour's sleep." She told him.

"Well then off with you, or else you'll need a gigantic thermos of that caffa of yours in order to keep from snapping at your comrades," he said with a pointed glance at her drink. "Save you a seat for the next meal?" he asked.

"Sure. See you later Trask," she told him with a smile as he headed off to his post. The moment he was out of sight, Leoma returned with Aminta's mug of caffa. Aminta frowned at her friend as she accepted the mug. "What took you so long?" she asked as she set aside the mug of cold caffa.

"I didn't want to interrupt," she said, flushing slightly as she looked to where Trask had made his exit.

Aminta smirked as she saw the woman's cheeks darken a few shades. "Coward," she said simply as she took a sip of the caffa, and sputtered as the liquid hit her tongue. "It's lukewarm!" she exclaimed indignantly, sneering down at the offensive liquid.

Leoma smiled sheepishly. "Sorry, you took longer than I expected you to," she said with a slight shrug of her shoulders, and laughed when she saw Aminta peering at the caffa in distaste. "Just don't drink it. It's not like you need that much caffeine anyway," she said as she whisked the mug from Aminta's hands.

"Obviously you haven't seen me before I get to the mess hall for my caffa in the morning. Just ask Trask how I look. Even he'll tell you that I look like hell," Aminta said with a little laugh.

"I think I'll pass," Leoma said dryly as she set the mug down on the table and wiped her hands off on her uniform.

Aminta laughed at her friend. "Look, just because he hit on you…"

"Ami! You should have heard half of the things he said to me. You know, I don't think he looked at my face the entire time we spoke!" she exclaimed indignantly.

"Trust me, I've heard things that will burn your ears off, and something tells me that Trask doesn't even know what half the things that I've been told mean," she snickered, and then looked back at her friend. "Anyways, Trask is usually a real good guy…at least when he's sober. I've only been around him when he was drunk once, and that definitely isn't an experience I want to repeat. But, you have to get to know him while he has full control of himself. He might surprise you," she told her friend with a knowing grin.

"He's blonde," Leoma said simply as she rose from her chair.

Aminta rolled her eyes and choked back laughter. "So, now you're using my prejudices against me? That is so unkind!" she exclaimed with mock indignation. "But seriously, he's an exception to the widely accepted stereotype. You should give him a chance."

"I'll sleep on it," Leoma said, and then turned to Aminta. "That reminds me. We should probably be heading off to our bunks now shouldn't we? Otherwise not even a ton of your precious caffa will ever be able to keep you awake," she giggled.

"Must you be so juvenile?" Aminta asked as she rolled her eyes and pushed herself to her feet, slinging her large orange bag over her shoulder.

"What? You do it too."

"I most certainly do not giggle. Why do you think I don't date blondes? I can't stand the sound," she said and shivered dramatically.

Leoma shook her head with a bemused smile. "You are so prejudiced. Let's turn the tables the other way, shall we? Do you agree that those with dark hair, like us, are really good for nothing but intellectual stimulation?"

"That is not our stereotype. Our stereotype is that we are capable of having fun, but are very intelligent, thank you very much. So yes, I do agree that the brunette stereotype fits very nicely."

Leoma suddenly burst into a fit of laughter. "I can't believe this! You refuse to judge an alien by its species, but you judge humans by the color of their hair! You're so…so…"

"Hypocritical?" Aminta offered.

"Exactly!" Leoma exclaimed, her laughter increased.

"Wow. Thanks, dearest," Aminta said dryly, heading towards the bar.

"Ami, Our rooms are the other way," Leoma pointed out with a raised eyebrow.

Aminta shook her head. "I'm not daft you know, just responsible. I'm putting this absolutely disgusting mug of lukewarm caffa at the bar so that the druids will have less work to do," she said over her shoulder as she did just that.

"I'm sure that they'll be very thankful," Leoma muttered sarcastically when Aminta rejoined her.

"Droids have feelings to you know," Aminta exclaimed with a toss of her head as she readjusted the strap of her bag.

"Droids do and blondes don't. Hmm, let's see what the problem is here…"

"Will you get off the subject of me and blondes?"

"Someone will change your mind one day."

"I don't think so," Aminta replied dryly. The girls continued on in such a manner until they split up to go to their separate rooms.

"_Hello?" the small girl asked as she wandered down the hallway. She poked her head into several rooms, but found no one there. "Hello?" she called out again, whimpering in fear. There was no response. She continued walking, putting one small foot in front of the other, holding her doll close against her chest. Suddenly, a bright light shone out from the darkness of the never-ending hall, and the child hurried towards it. "Mummy?" she called, her small steps quickening to a run. "Is that you?" she called out, desperate for some sort of answer, to a break in the silence. She stood in the doorway of blinding light, squinting to see. She took a cautious step in, and fell._

_The scene shifted, and she was able to see the world around her. No longer a child, but a teenager, falling farther and farther, screaming loudly, begging for help, but no one could hear her cries. Suddenly, she was an adult, and a black chasm opened up before her. She fell faster now, screaming louder, her body being torn to pieces from the enormity of her anguish. She saw the floor of the ravine, and she thrashed about in the air, desperate to grab onto something before she hit the bottom. But there was nothing to grab, and the bottom of the gorge was directly before her, and then, there was a sickening, painful impact._

_Bright light invaded her senses again, and she could hear voices. They were familiar, but she couldn't place them. There was an argument going on, of that much she was sure. Their words were fuzzy, and she struggled to make them out. She concentrated harder, desperate for some clue as to what was happening. Finally, a string of words became clear. "…Cannot be saved," it said. Tears filled her eyes. She was doomed, then, to a fate she did not know, but what must have been as horrible as the fall. "…Create a new one…" another voice interrupted into her thoughts. That voice filled her with hope._

'_Please, please save me!' she begged, but her words rang only in her mind. The others could not hear. "We will do what must be done," the first voice said, and she could hear the resignation. She tried to open her mouth to speak, to open her eyes to see, but couldn't. She wanted to beg for mercy, but her silent cries fell on deaf ears. Then, a gigantic flash came before her eyes, and she was falling, falling…_

Aminta woke with a start, and quickly realized that she had fallen to the floor in the midst of her nightmare. "Ugh," she exclaimed as she attempted to untangle herself from the sheets. Suddenly, a flash of bright light, followed by a large crash invaded her senses. She threw off the blanket and stood up, swaying slightly. She put a hand to her head where she had hit it and winced. "That'll leave a bump!" she muttered darkly, and then attempted to take in her surroundings beyond the buzz in her head.

The doors leading into her room flew open, and she grasped the edge of her bed in order not to fall over in surprise. "Aminta!" Trask cried, his voice filled with relief.

"Trask?" Aminta murmured past her haze. "What's going on?" she asked, swaying slightly. Trask hurried over and grabbed her by her upper arms. "Don't you hear that?" he demanded as another crash sounded. At her nod he continued, "Well that's the sound of the Spire being took over by a sith fleet. We've got to run!" he exclaimed, dropping her arms and heading towards the door.

The mention of a Sith fleet got Aminta's full attention, and finally dispelled her dizziness. "Let's go." She told him, and headed towards the door. She stopped at Trask's low whistle.

"Now I really know what Kael saw in you," he joked, his eyes scanning her body. "Maybe it would be a good idea for you to head out like that. It just might distract the Sith enough for us to get to the bridge," he said with a utterly male, wolfish grin.

Aminta looked down and was mortified to see that she was standing in her underwear. Her cheeks reddened to the point where she felt that she was glowing, and she quickly crossed her arms over her chest and turned her back to him. "Men are such pigs," she grumbled under her breath while she hastily threw her clothes on.

"What was that sugar? I don't believe I heard you," he mocked.

"Yes, you did." She muttered as she grabbed her vibroblades from her footlocker, and put two blasters into their holsters at each hip, before adding miscellanies weapons to hidden pockets all over her clothing. Why she brought the blasters she hadn't the faintest idea. If she attempted to shoot an enemy with one of those, she was certain that she would end up injuring herself in the process.

"I see you haven't had your caffa yet." Trask said, genuinely amused, forgetting for a brief moment the battle that raged around them.

"Any so you get to deal with the beast," she retorted.

"Lucky me," he told her sarcastically.

An explosion that rocked the ship brought them both back to attention. "We've got to get out of here!" Trask exclaimed, taking off down the corridor in a sprint, Aminta a few steps behind. They reached a sealed door. "Damn! It's locked, and I don't have the override codes!" he exclaimed, running his fingers through his short blonde hair.

"Hey, Blondie, you forget that you have a class A scoundrel with you," Aminta told him with a smirk as she sliced the terminal to get the override codes. Once she obtained those, she quickly punched them into a keypad, and the doors slid open.

"Much as I disapprove of your previous occupation, those skills really do come in handy."

"Who ever said that I left that occupation? After this mess, having the exchange tailing you seems like a dream come true."

They ran down the hallway, and were intercepted by a group of Sith. Aminta attacked with her vibroblades, Trask with his blasters. "You really should consider becoming a smuggler," Aminta told him as she thrust her sword through her opponent's heart.

"Nah, that line of work doesn't really interest me," he replied as he shot an assailant between the eyes.

"Nice shot," Aminta told him, though her eyes remained locked on the sith she was fighting with, landing a mortal blow in his torso.

"Thanks. You're not doing so bad yourself, for a rookie," Trask replied with a wink as he shot the remaining sith clean through the heart. Aminta sheathed her blades without bothering to clean them off, and sprinted down the hallway, Trask quickly catching up to her.

"Jae, Ulgo? Do you read me?" a voice asked from their wrist comm Units. Trask and Aminta looked at each other briefly, and then Aminta responded. "We're here."

"This is Commander Carth Onasi. Get to the escape pods now. You are the last remaining members of the party, and there is a battalion of sith on their way in to the craft. I repeat, get to the escape pods now!"

"Yeah, you know, that's a brilliant idea! Why didn't we think of that?" Aminta exclaimed through the comm, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

Trask glared at her and wrenched the unit from her hands. "I apologize for Jae's behavior, sir. She is a rookie and under a lot of stress right now; she isn't thinking very clearly. We'll be at the escape pods as soon as we can manage. Over and out," he finished, and shoved her unit back into her hands. "Never talk to a commanding officer that way," he scolded her mildly as he continued to sprint.

"Officer, shmofficer," she muttered under her breath, and then stumbled. Trask grabbed her arm to steady her as he continued to run, slowing his pace only slightly. "We're the last two people alive on this ship that aren't Sith," she said softly, the implications hitting her with tremendous force.

"You know what this means?" Trask asked as he turned to look at Aminta. "We are in a heap of shavit!" he exclaimed, running just a bit faster, the hand on Aminta's arm forcing her to keep up with him.

"Look on the positive side Ulgo, there's two of us," she told him with a slight shrug as she pushed herself to keep up with his quick, long legged pace. Being short definitely had its disadvantages.

"Against a regiment of sith troopers?"

"Would you rather be by yourself?" she challenged.

"Of course not!"

"See, its good that there's two of us." She told him with a grim smile. She began to sweat, and she brushed a hand over her brow. "You think Leoma made it out?" she asked softly, her somber mood restored.

"I hope so, honey," he told her softly, gently squeezing the arm that he held. . Out of nowhere, a blaster fired, and grazed Aminta's back. The woman stifled a scream of pain, and purely out of instinct, Trask shot back to the place where the offending bullet had come from. The stealth field surrounding the Sith disappeared as he fell to the ground.

"That's what you get for letting your guard down," Aminta ground out through the pain as she pulled her vibroblades from their sheaths.

The corner of Trask's mouth curved upwards slightly at her remark, and he readied his blasters, shooting a flurry of bullets at the area where the Sith had been. The stealth fields of their attackers fell off, and both he and Aminta moved in for the kill.

Aminta gritted her teeth as she fought, blood from the wound in her back seeping through her clothing. _It'll clot. Just keep going! _She counseled herself, and though the pain was intense, she heeded her own advice.

Trask felled several more Sith, and winced when a bullet grazed his temple. "Bastard," he muttered under his breath, and shot the sniper. He pressed a hand to his pounding temple once he was certain that the remaining attackers were dead, and he spared a glance at Aminta. He did a double take when he saw her clothing, and he hurried over to her side. "How much damage did that blaster do to you?" he asked as he went to touch the wound.

Aminta jerked away. "It's fine," she managed, but her teeth were clenched, and her jaw was set in a manner that could only be described as pain.

Trask frowned at her, and reached out for her more forcefully. "Ami, we need to heal it," he informed her, his voice hard as steel.

"No kolto, no time," Aminta responded with an equal amount of hardness to her tone. Knowing that neither of them had wills that easily bent, Aminta dashed off in what she thought was the direction of the escape pods. Trask had no choice but to follow her, which he did with much muttering.

"Ami, you're going the way!" Trask exclaimed, and was relieved when she finally stopped. "Insufferable…stubborn," he grumbled under his breath. He froze suddenly when he saw what had attracted Aminta's attention. Two Jedi battled, though it was clear that the one on the light path had the upper hand. With one quick stroke, the dark Jedi was cut down. The brunette woman turned towards the pair quickly, her lightsaber raised high in defense.

Upon seeing their uniforms, the woman practically sagged with relief. Another explosion sounded, and the control panel erupted, filling the room with a brilliant flare. Aminta stifled a scream with her hand, and Trask covered her fragile form with his body to deflect the debris. When the light receded, the Jedi lay dead on the floor, but the pair of soldiers was relatively unharmed. When Trask pulled away from Aminta, his arms from where he had held her were drenched with blood from her would. "Ami," he said hoarsely as he showed her.

The woman paled visibly at the sight of her blood, but instead of stopping, she hastily bent down to retrieve items from the dead Jedi's packs. "No kolto, no time," she repeated grimly as she added their things to her bag, and hurried from the room.

"The escape pods are through these rooms," Trask said, gesturing to a doorway once he had caught up with her. Grateful that he said no more about her wound, Aminta merely nodded.

Just as they ran through the first set of doors, another explosion went off, causing the terminal in the room to erupt. "They really need to find a way to make those damn things less flammable," Aminta choked out through the smoke that filled the room. She was rewarded on her effort of levity be Trask's wheezing chuckle. Through the smoke, Aminta could make out a red light. She squinted her eyes against the burning sensation, and pointed out the light to Trask.

Trask's own eyes were streaming with tears as a result from the smoke, but from the way his breathing changed, Aminta knew that he saw what she had pointed out to hum. "Go," he rasped, and shoved her towards the door. The light was coming closer to them now; a figure beginning to emerge from the veil of smoke.

Aminta tilted her chin defiantly. "If you're planning on staying here, then so am I!" she crossed her arms over her chest and set her jaw, preparing for an argument.

Trask's hands clenched, but he said nothing other than "Go," and pushed her harder towards the door.

"Trask, you've got a kid. If there's danger, you just can't stay here!" Aminta exclaimed indignantly, stamping her foot. She pointedly ignored the feeling of childishness that the act brought with it. The figure came closer, and Aminta saw Trask begin to panic.

Without further adieu, Trask swept the woman up in his arms, and tossed her out the door. "Go!" It was a shout this time, and Aminta was jolted from the daze that falling had put her into. Trask's eyes were hard, his stance determined. It scared her.

"But…" she began her eyes wide and filled with worry.

Trask looked from the approaching figure to the woman at his feet, and then back again. When his eyes rested on hers once more, his features softened. "I'll hold him off, for a while at least," he said gently, and then his face was set into a stony mask again. "Now go!" he shouted as he drew his blasters and hurried back into the room, shutting and jamming the doors behind him. But the doors weren't shut fast enough to keep Aminta from seeing the scarred, withered face of the dark Jedi that would kill her friend.

Aminta quickly scrambled from her position on the floor, the pain in her pack forgotten, and pounded the sealed door with her fists. "Trask, you moron! What in the galaxies were you thinking? You complete and total idiot!" she screamed, pounding on the door harder, hoping by some miracle that he would open it and allow her to help him. Slowly, her constant pounding began to soften, until she was left with her hands splayed out on the cool metal surface, her forehead pressed against the wall. There were no screams beyond the door. Just…silence. "Trask," she whispered softly past the lump in her throat, before steeling herself against the pain that had begun to blossom in her chest. _Never let them see you cry, _she reminded herself, before pushing herself away from the door. She didn't look back.

Aminta activated her stealth unit, and crept through the next few rooms, easily dispatching the few within them that she had taken by surprise. She stopped and pilfered credits and a few med-pacs from the dead Sith before continuing down the corridors. Just as she was nearing the last few rooms before the escape pods, her comm unit burst into life.

"Jae? Jae do you read me?" Commander Carth Onasi's voice cut through the silence, and Aminta winced. It didn't matter that the Sith couldn't see her if they could hear her. _Just like a man. You're doing something that needs silence, and he goes and opens his big mouth. _

"Yeah, I read you, and very loudly I might add. Do all those years of boot camp make you think that you need to shout all the time?" she muttered into the comm, attempting to keep her voice quiet, hoping that he'd take the hint.

The line was silent for several minutes, and Aminta could have sworn that the man was counting to ten. Apparently, he didn't understand the need for stillness, because he spoke as loud as he had the first time. "I'm tracking your position on me terminal. You've got one room left to go through. Be careful though, there's a lot of them in there. You're going to have to find a way to sneak by them."

Aminta groaned, and by the sharp exhale that rasped through the comm, she knew that the commander had heard the sound. "That was my plan until you opened your big mouth and gave away my position!" she hissed.

"Well, one the gods close a window, they open a door," the commander's voice came through, blessedly quieter this time.

Aminta saw a terminal nearby, and quickly pulled several security spikes from her bag. "What, are you saying that you're a god now?" she grumbled as she sliced the terminal and accessed camera feed into the next room over. The Sith most definitely had heard Onasi's voice. There were seven of them, blades drawn standing directly behind the door.

"I don't have time for this, soldier," Onasi's voice came through again. "Just get through here alive. Over and out."

Aminta rolled her eyes, and typed a few commands into the keypad, turning her head as the camera feed depicted the gruesome deaths of the Sith due to electrocution. She wasn't a coward, but she was still female. "Pure pazaak," she mumbled under her breath as she used a security spike to pick the lock of the door.

Aminta entered the room, steeling herself against the nausea that rose to her throat at the sight of the charred bodies. Hurriedly, she scavenged their remains, careful to keep her eyes averted from the burned flesh. _I am really going to need a trip to the refresher when this is all over,_ she thought before opening the door to the escape pods.

Commander Onasi stood before her in all of his orange glory, a blaster pointed at her head. "Woa there. Down boy," she exclaimed as she raised her hands. "We're on the same side here, remember?"

Carth lowered his blaster, and examined the woman's face. "Jae?" he asked with trepidation.

_I knew it! He was hoping that I'd get killed!_ Aminta cleared her throat, and stuck out her hand. "In the flesh. And you must be Onasi." He glanced down at her hand, but didn't make a move to take it. "What? Afraid of cooties?" she asked with a raised brow.

Carth frowned, and Aminta dropped her hand. "I think we've had enough with the pleasantries. Let's just get out of here," he muttered, and climbed into the escape pod. Aminta shrugged, but followed him.

An explosion rocked the ship, and Aminta sucked in her breath, her eyes gone wide with fear. "Let's hurry," she whispered, pressing a hand against her thudding heart.

Carth nodded brusquely, noting that her sarcasm slipped when she got too overcome by emotion. _It's just a mask,_ the thought startled him, and Carth looked up at the girl with newfound compassion. _She must have gone through hell getting here,_ he thought, and held out hand to her. "There's only one safety harness in here, so I'm going to have to hold you," he told her, purposefully gentling his words. Her blue eyes turned to ice. _Okay, so she gets defensive when someone goes out of their way to be kind. Note to self: don't try that again._

"Who says that you get the harness?" Aminta asked, her fear quickly replaced by her trademark sarcasm.

Carth grinned, despite the tense situation. "Do you think that you could hold me?" he asked, scanning her small, slender frame. She was a good foot shorter and seventy pounds lighter than he was. He watched her furrow her brow. "I didn't think so," he said, and strapped himself in. He then spread his legs, and held out his hand to her. "Get in here before we get blown up with this ship!" he exclaimed. The woman slid inside, closing the door behind her quickly. While she arranged herself on the floor so that he could lock both his knees and arms around her, Carth slammed his hand on the button that detached the escape pod from the ship.

No matter how many times that they had gone through simulations in training, Carth never could quite get used to the queasy feeling that filled his stomach when an escape pod was hurtling down to a planet below. And judging from the way that the woman's nails were cutting into the flesh on his arms, Carth figured that she couldn't either.


	2. Chapter 2

Yeah, I forgot to put Author's notes on the first chapter, so here they are now! Anyway, this is my first attempt at fanfiction (its an upload from one of my stories atKFM), and the original of this is undergoing some serious cosmetic surgery. Anyway, please R + R!

Disclaimer: Yeah, yeah. I get it. I don't own anything.

* * *

Carth moaned as he sat up, promptly realizing his situation. His arms were still locked in a death grip around the woman who had barely escaped the Endar Spire with her life, and he was staring down at the bottom of the escape pod. He lowered the woman to the floor as carefully as he could, and noticed the blood gushing from her back. It looked mortal from the amount of blood that he was seeing, and he wondered why he hadn't noticed it before. Her head was banged up as well, a large gash from temple to cheekbone marring her pretty face. _Damn._

He put one foot on each side of her, and unfastened his safety belt, rolling to his knees while managing not to fall onto the woman lying unconscious between them. He carefully stepped over her, and opened the door, to reveal Taris cloaked in night. Carth breathed a prayer of thanks that there was no one around, and stepped out, reaching back in to lift the woman into his arms.

Carth winced when he felt his arms become slick with the woman's blood, but pushed the feelings of worry and disgust aside so that he would be better able to focus. Noticing the bag that was wedged between the seats, he shifted Aminta's sleight weight so that he was able to grab it. Once he pulled it out, he noted with amusement that it was nearly the same color of his flight jacket. But of course, his jacket was closer to rust, and her bag was more of an obnoxious orange.

Carefully, so as not to disturb her wound more than it already was, he slung the bag over his shoulder and surveyed his surroundings. They had crashed near a cantina, but not close enough to be seen. Beyond that was what appeared to be several shops and an elevator. A sign to his left advertised an apartment for rent a little further north. _Might as well try it,_ he thought absently as he headed in what he perceived to be the right direction. Unfortunately, Carth was unacquainted with Taris, and he soon found himself lost.

_Shavit. I swear I've passed that building three times already! _Upon further inspection, he realized that he had. Grunting with frustration, Carth sat against the wall for a moment and attempted to catch his breath. The woman wasn't heavy by a long shot, but carrying anything for nearly two hours is liable to wipe a person out. Carth settled the woman into his lap, cradling her head against her chest with one arm as he ran his hand through his hair with the other. _Of all times to get lost…_

"Excuse me mister?" Carth, startled by the voice, practically jumped. He looked up, and saw a young twi'lek, not older than seventeen he would guess, bent on her haunches and staring at him. The girl laughed and shook her head, her head tails bouncing against her back. "You two drunk?" she asked when she saw his paranoia.

Carth glanced down at the woman in his arms, and then back up to the twi'lek. It would be far easier to explain Aminta's present state as merely drunkenness rather than to attempt to explain that her injuries induced a state of unconsciousness. "I'm not, at least not too much," he told the girl with a sheepish shrug. "But my friend here is…pretty out of it," he managed. It wasn't exactly a lie. She was 'out of it' after all. "I was looking for an apartment that we could stay in for a while, but I got lost," he finished.

The twi'lek's eyes were alight with amusement. "I just finished up my job, and I'm heading home. Of course, home happens to be teeming with aliens like myself and no-goods with bounties on their heads, but the Sith don't come too often, so it's pretty liveable. There's a couple of abandoned apartments near mine; the humans all skidattled after all of us aliens showed up. So if you aren't prejudiced or anything, I'll take you there," she said with a shrug as she stood up.

Carth mentally assessed his situation, and came to the conclusion that trusting the girl might not be such a bad idea…if only for a little while. "Yeah, that would be great," he told her with an attempted smile that turned out more of a grimace. Thankfully, the shadows hid his face, so that the girl didn't take offense to his expression.

"Okay mister. Do I get a tip or something for getting you there?" she asked with a small smile. "After all, you won't be paying rent or anything, so…"

"I'll see if I have anything with me when we get there," he told the twi'lek curtly, before standing. He adjusted Aminta in his arms again so that her weight was easier to bear, and she whimpered softly. Carth jumped at the sound, but then pretended that he hadn't heard anything and followed the girl.

The twi'lek turned to look back at Aminta, and frowned slightly when she saw the look of pain etched upon the woman's face. "She ain't drunk," the twi'lek said simply as she continued to walk. Carth winced, and frantically attempted to come up with an answer to that statement. Before he could fully formulate one, the girl spoke again. "You didn't lace her drink with anything, did you?" she asked, her tone accusatory.

Carth choked on a breath of air. "No! I…we…" he attempted to explain, and then shook his head. "This isn't a conversation to be had on the streets. I'll tell you…some of the details when we get to the apartment."

The girl just raised her eyebrows and continued to walk. The pair didn't speak another word to each other until they arrived at their destination.

What the twi'lek had said was right; Carth hadn't seen one human being in the building with the exception of the old janitor. But, the aliens apparently took pride in their building; the halls were immaculate, and the floor shone. It was by no means a palace, but it was certainly liveable. The apartment the girl brought him to, however, was a completely different story.

The wallpaper was peeling and yellowed with age, the floors carpeted with a thick layer of dust. The furniture was in no better shape; the fabric torn and faded, the throw pillows on them covered with stains. Carth didn't want to leave Aminta on the filthy couch, but his arms were tired and sore from carrying her for so long and the rest of the apartment needed inspecting.

The kitchenette proved to be no better than the living room; the counters covered in dust, cobwebs spreading the length of the walls. The cabinets were blackened with dirt, and were crawling with various forms of insects. The sink was rusted, and the drain clogged; the light didn't work when he flipped the switch.

Carth sniffed in disdain. In all of his years, he'd never been in a place quite like this. No wonder the dump had been abandoned. Shaking his head, he entered into the refresher, which had once been painted a hideous shade of pink, and its faded version held no more appeal. The room was cramped. The toilet was within an arm's length of the sink, and the sonic shower was crammed into the opposite wall, still an arm's length away from the other fixtures in the room. The mirror was cloudy, and in desperate need of a good cleaning, and the lights flickered sporadically.

Carth shivered at the thought of how much cleaning would have to be done to make the apartment liveable. He cleared his throat, and re-entered the living room, stopping dead in his tracks when he saw the twi'lek inspecting Aminta's bared torso. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" he exclaimed as he hurried to cover the woman's bare back with a ratty throw blanket that he found on the back of a chair.

The twi'lek glared up at him. "She's bleeding. What did you do to her?" her voice was cold, and had an undercurrent of danger to it. Her lekku were coiled around her shoulders, either in protection, anger, or a combination of both.

Carth's eyes widened. "I didn't do anything to her!" he exclaimed heatedly, gently covering the woman and turning back around to face the twi'lek, who didn't look convinced of his innocence in the least.

"Oh?" the girl asked, raising a brow. "Then how did she get this?" she demanded, throwing back the blanket that Carth had just placed over the woman, and pointed to the gaping wound on her back.

Carth directed his gaze to where her finger was pointing, and blinked. The wound was larger than he thought it was, and deeper too. The scab had broken, and blood was flowing freely over Aminta's back. _Damn. _He stared for several more seconds before looking back up at the twi'lek. "I'm not sure," he said hoarsely, his eyes wide, his mouth agape. "I realized it for the first time after she went unconscious…the crash must have reopened it…" he realized what he had just said, and quickly cut off his flow of words. _Stupid, stupid, stupid! _

"The crash? As in those republic space pod crashes?" the twi'lek asked, her eyes gone huge with wonder. "Are you with the republic?" she asked quickly.

A muscle began to work in Carth's jaw, and he clenched his fists, reminding himself to breathe. "Are you finished with the interrogation yet?" he retorted, struggling to fight down the bubble of rising panic. _She knows too much…she must be working with the Sith. She knows where we're hiding; she could report us to them at any time…_

"Hey, don't worry mister. Those tin cans have made life even more impossible for us aliens than it was before. Anyone who's an enemy of the Sith is a friend of mine," she told him with a light smile, her head tails relaxed and hanging freely down her back now. "But it looks like your friend here needs a little bit of help, and that bedding in the room back there is pretty gross; it'll definitely infect the gash she's got there. I'll run home and grab a few spare blankets; Uschal shouldn't mind," she told him before dashing from the room. She paused in the doorway. "You have any kolto?" she asked him, the thought just dawning on her.

Carth grabbed Aminta's bag from where he had tossed it on the floor, and rummaged through it. "There's two medpacs, but I'm not sure that they will be enough," he said with a frown, chewing on his lower lip with worry.

"Ah, don't worry about it. Uschal should have a few shots of kolto somewhere in his medicine cabinet," she said shortly before disappearing out the door.

Carth sighed softly, and sat down next to where Aminta lay, glancing over the wound. He'd been in the military longer than she'd been alive, or so he guessed, and that time had hardened him against all sorts of wounds. He had seen friends shot down; gaping holes replacing their torsos, their severed heads found meters from their bodies. He remembered holding their bodies close as he choked back tears. His comrades, his brothers in arms… In comparison, this woman's injury seemed like a scraped knee. However, he knew that untreated it could still be fatal.

"I'm back," the twi'lek said cheerily, although Carth could see nothing beyond a mound of pillows, bags, and blankets except for a pair of skinny legs. "Leave her there for a second, and get the door to the bedroom for me, will ya?" Without waiting for a response, she headed in the direction of the room.

Carth quickly gathered Aminta in his arms, stood carefully, and pushed open the door for the girl, frowning in distaste when he saw the condition that the bedroom was in. The walls in here had been painted at one time in their history, and that paint was now peeling off the walls in short, bubbly patches. The bedding was moth-eaten, the pillows hard and stiff. _There is no way that I'm sleeping in here._

"I told you that the bedroom was kind of gross. Don't look at me like that; I brought you some bedding and stuff too," she said with a roll of her eyes as she quickly stripped one of the beds, throwing the pillow in a nearby trash compactor. She looked back at Carth as she began to make the bed with the materials that she had brought over. "Your friend's head is pretty banged up too." Worry clouded the girl's voice.

Carth looked down at the unconscious woman in his arms, and noticed that what the girl said was true. Carth could see that one of the woman's eyes slanted upwards at the corner, and he imagined that the other did as well, but the left side of her face was so swollen that he couldn't tell. From the gash came a thin stream of blood, trickling down her cheeks. _She'd better not be vain. If she is and she looks in the mirror…_ Carth didn't want to finish that train of thought. He turned his attention back to the twi'lek. "I'll fix that after I bandage her back," he told her shortly as he lowered Aminta to the new bedding, rolling her onto her stomach so that the sheets wouldn't get stained with blood.

"Did you bring the kolto?" he asked the girl as he straightened up.

The twi'lek glared at him. "What do you think I am, an imbecile? Of course I brought the kolto!" she exclaimed indignantly as she fished through one of the bags and pulled out several syringes filled with the liquid. "And I brought some sutures too," she informed him smugly as she held the items out for his inspection.

"Anything else?" Carth asked dryly as he inspected Aminta's wound. It would have to be sterilized, a few dozen stitches were needed, and all of the kolto that the girl brought with her would probably be used.

The twi'lek bent to dig through her bag again. "I got some antiseptic, some bandages…oh, and a girl I know lent me some concealer that's about your friend's skin tone," she finished brightly.

The girl's endless enthusiasm was beginning to grate on Carth's nerves. _Wait, did she just mention concealer? As in the make-up?_ "What is the cover-up for?" he demanded.

The girl shrugged. "She's gonna want to use it when she wakes up. I promise you, she's not going to go anywhere while she's sporting that shiner."

Carth rolled his eyes. _Women._ "How exactly did you come by all these medical supplies?" he asked suspiciously, peeking into one of the bags, quickly pulling his head away when he saw several pairs of women's undergarments. _Apparently this girl thinks very far_ _ahead._

"I work for a doctor named Zelka Forn. I would have taken you there to begin with, but you didn't tell me that she was injured. And the good old doctor's gone by now, and his clinic is closed on weekends," she said nonchalantly as she began to rub some of the antiseptic onto Aminta's back. "I can do this part, but I'm helpless when it comes to surgery. I get nauseous watching people get stitched up," she said with a shiver as she continued to prep the woman.

Carth shook his head. "It's alright. I'm used to doing surgeries anyway; you're not in my line of work without having to learn to deal with that sort of thing." He remembered all too well some of the wounds he'd seen in his lifetime, some more painful for him to bear than others. The nature of his work went unmentioned; the twi'lek already knew, but he would never admit it aloud.

The girl finished, and stood back from her work, allowing Carth to begin the process of stitching up the wound. He worked quickly and efficiently, although the stitches were small and even, a surprising feat for hands as large as his. "So, you never introduced yourself," Carth said as he continued to work.

"My name's Mayenna," the girl said slowly, and Carth could hear the discomfort in her voice. Mayenna didn't lie; she really did get nauseous when confronted with the sight of a needle piercing flesh. She cleared her throat. "You didn't introduce yourself either," she informed him. Her tone was stronger this time; she must have been looking away.

Carth hesitated for a moment before answering, "I'm Carth, and the patient here is Aminta," he said, stumbling over her name. "At least, that's how I think you pronounce it, I've only ever seen her first name on a datapad," he clarified.

"So, you just met her?" Mayenna asked, raising her eyebrows. "That's unusual," she murmured, more to herself than to Carth, but he decided to respond.

"Not really. We're of different ranks; the two don't really associate with each other," he said with a slight shrug, although careful not to disrupt his hands as he continued to work the needle through her skin.

"Yeah, I know how that is. Due to the whole alien vs. Upper City Tarisian conflict, I don't know many humans. I guess it's kind of the same," she finished with a slight shrug in a frown.

"Maybe," Carth admitted. "So, what's been happening on Taris? I haven't been here in at least a decade." He well remembered the last time that he'd been here. He and his wife had stayed at a nice hotel for a few days… his _wife._ A horrible ache filled his chest, and he quickly turned his mind to other things. _No thinking…just the mission,_ he reminded himself before forcing himself to focus on Mayenna's words.

Mayenna's frown deepened. "Well, the Upper City has always been run by prejudice, so you must have noticed that ten years ago." At Carth's slight nod, she continued, "Anyway, things have gotten even worse since then, especially with the Sith quarantine that they've put around the planet. No one is allowed in or out, including the aliens and visitors that got stuck here. Also, the Sith guard the elevators that go down to the Under and Lower cities, so there is no way for us aliens up here to mingle with our own kinds, except in the apartments; and believe me, you get cabin fever pretty fast."

"Did you say a quarantine? You mean there's absolutely no way out?" Carth asked, chewing on his lower lip with worry as he finished suturing the wound. That definitely through a major dent in his plans. _That's all right…when a door closes a window opens, right? When the hell did I start thinking like an optimist?_

"Yeah. That really stinks for all you republics, doesn't it?'

Carth froze, but didn't bother to reply. She knew, and he refused to say anything more on the matter of his occupation, but the prospect of more survivors… "You mean there were more pod crashes?" he asked, hope flooding him. Bastila had to have gotten off the ship; she was priority and would have gone before any of the others. So, that meant that there was a high probability that she was somewhere, and if he had made it out of the crash alive, a Jedi certainly must have!

"Yeah, there have been a lot, but most of them crashed in the Under City and Lower City. The ones that crashed up here besides you two…" her words trailed off. "Let's just say that compared to them, your friend here made it out easy."

Carth winced, and accepted a kolto syringe from Mayenna's outstretched hand. He didn't have to ask if they were dead or not; sometimes it was better to die immediately than to face injuries that would slowly kill you. And from the way she had spoken, it seemed that the survivors were members of the latter group. He injected the kolto into Aminta's back before injecting a second and then a third to be absolutely positive that it would heal quickly and that there would be no infection.

"The stitching ids done; you can look down now," he informed the girl, quickly changing the subject as he began to bandage the now sutured wound. The sight of the woman's bare torso didn't phase him; war pretty much dulled all sense of modesty when the person in question was unconscious.

Mayenna grinned at Carth, her confidence restored now that the procedure was over. "Go take a shower while I do her head. I don't mind using butterfly stitches," she told him brightly once he had finished, picking up one of the smaller bags that she had brought in and tossed it at his head.

Carth had good reflexes, and caught it quickly, sparing the girl a grateful smile while he looked in the bag. There were the basic essentials needed for a bathroom, and he guessed that the same friend that had given her the concealer had also given her the shampoo. "Thanks," he told her briefly before heading to the refresher.

Mayenna sighed softly as she picked up the antiseptic and gently spread it over the gash on Aminta's head. She began to talk to the unconscious woman; talkative by nature, she didn't turn down the opportunity to speak to someone who couldn't silence her. "That's a pretty nice guy there; I have a feeling he's gonna take real good care of you. I wish Uschal was that nice, but oh well. You can't have everything you wish for, especially when you need a place to stay."

Once the cut was disinfected, she carefully butterflied it, and checked to be sure that no more blood came through. That done, she injected the now stitched cut with two shots of kolto, knowing that only one was needed, but also knowing that the woman lying on the bed would probably like the bruising on her face to be mostly healed by the time she woke up. "But he's alright I guess. I mean, he doesn't hurt me, or anything, but he isn't one for talk, at least not about important things. If my parents were still alive I wouldn't be sleeping with him then. I mean, I'm still pretty much a kid myself and I really don't want to be living like I am, but I'm a twi'lek. It's what's expected of me. And Zelka doesn't pay me very much, so…" It was so easy to talk to a patient. You could pour your heart out to them, and they'd offer no judgment. Patients were about the only people that she could talk to that way.

Once she was finished, she gently drew the sheets back over Aminta's body and smiled down at the woman. "Boy, are you two lucky that I came around when I did!" Mayenna exclaimed with a quick laugh before straightening. Carth still hadn't returned from the 'fresher, so Mayenna headed over to the other cot in the room and began to strip and re-make it.

By the time that she was finished, Carth had re-entered the room. "How's she doing?" Carth asked, inclining his head towards Aminta.

Mayenna shrugged as she straightened up. "She hasn't made a sound yet, but we probably should take her to Zelka's when she wakes up," she said as she stretched out a kink in her back and stifled a yawn.

Carth's eyebrows shot up. "We?" he demanded, crossing his arms over his chest. He hadn't teamed up with anyone by choice ion a long time, and he wasn't about to start to now. _Especially with a twi'lek kid that should be sleeping at this hour, _he thought as he glared at her

Carth had to give the girl credit; she didn't back down, or even flinch. "Yeah, we. You've got me dragged into this mess of yours, and I'm sticking, whether you like it or not!" She exclaimed, planting her hands on her hips.

Despite himself, Carth chuckled. "Okay, kid. I get the picture," he said with a slight shake of his head.

Mayenna bristled for a moment, and then relaxed again. "You just remember that I'm going to be right down the hall until you get yourself off of this planet," she said lightly, offering a chance at a friendship.

Carth grasped at it, but barely. "I'll do that," he said, but in a noncommittal tone.

Mayenna shrugged. "You'd better," she warned him. After stifling another yawn, she looked down at her chronometer. "It's late; I should probably be going now. Uschal might get mad at me for how long I took," she said with a light smile before she dashed out of the apartment.

Carth smiled softly and shook his head. _Just like a kid. They come in fast, and they leave even faster. _His eyes became clouded with the weight of memories, and his chest became tight again. He shook his head to dispel the feelings and the memories as he climbed between the clean sheets. He glanced once more over at the unconscious woman on the bed across from him before pulling up the blankets and allowing himself to drift off.

* * *

Unfortunately, his moments of sleep were all too brief. He was jerked from his slumber several hours later by screaming that was inhuman in its intensity. Startled, he sat up quickly, not realizing how close he had been to the edge of the bed until he had hit the floor.

Grumbling, he untangled himself from the sheets that were twined against his legs, and stood up quickly, reaching for the gun that he kept beneath his pillow. It took him several moments of sleep-induced fog for him to realize that the screaming was coming from Aminta.

Carth replaced his blaster beneath the pillow, and rushed over to the woman, grabbing her arms and pinning them down to either side of her body. _If she keeps up like this, she's going to pull out the stitches! _She bucked hard against him, and Carth nearly lost his grip on her. _Well, she certainly is stronger than she looks,_ he thought ruefully as adjusted his grip, and tried to focus on restraining her. _No wonder she made it off of the Spire alive._

Aminta's eyes flew open, but they were dilated and out of focus. Her breathing grew more rapid as she thrashed harder, but her screams lessened. Carth pushed her harder into the mattress in an attempt to keep her from injuring herself, and she stopped thrashing, her screams melting into soft whimpers. Carth, panting from the effort of holding her down, gentled his hold on her arms to see how she would react. She drew away from him, and began speaking rapidly in a language that he couldn't understand.

"Shh," he murmured softly as he completely let go of her arms. She drew them close to her body, and curled up into a ball, hiding her face in her hands as the strange words continued to pour from her mouth.

Carth frowned for a moment, torn by indecision, and then sat down warily on the edge of her bed and began to rub her back as he spoke softly to her. Gradually, he felt her begin to relax, and then she lapsed into unconsciousness again.

Carth stood and rubbed a hand over his face. _I really hope that she isn't like this the whole time that she's unconscious. _He glanced down at his chronometer and groaned when he realized that he had only received three hours of sleep. He glanced back at the woman lying relatively peacefully, and gently pulled the blanket back over her small form. Straightening, he headed back to his bed, and collapsed once he hit the mattress, not bothering to pull the blankets back over his body.

He managed to get another hour's worth of sleep before the screaming started again. Carth's eyes flew open, and he dragged himself from his bed. _This is going to be a very, very, very, long night._

* * *

_The world spun as lightsabers clashed together, the sound both foreign and familiar. A Jedi, obviously young, but not necessarily untried, paused in the battle for a moment, attempting to speak to the dark lord that she was fighting._

_The masked and robed Jedi threw out a push threw the force, but the younger of the two easily blocked it. The dark Jedi was weakening, but she continued to fight. A snarl rose from the back of her throat, and the younger of the two continued serenely, unfazed. _

_The fight continued for several more minutes, the stench of sweat and fear filling the room. The young Jedi finally neared enough to strike the dark one and then…_

_Bright blinding pain surrounded her, causing her to drown in its intensity. She was now within the body of the dark Jedi, barely managing to breathe. She felt like she was drowning, could feel every one of her systems shut down. She began to panic, and that cut off her air supply, and she frantically tried to claw at her throat, but her hands couldn't move. Her world began to become dotted with black spots, before she finally realized that she could no longer see. Her mind began to shut down as well; she could feel the panic subsiding as the blackness surrounded her. The last command that she could give herself was to breathe. And she did slowly, but with each breath she felt as though she was drinking water, sucking it into her lungs until the pain was so intense that she was about to burst… "…Can't be saved."_

Aminta Jae sat up quickly, disoriented, the quick motion made her head swim. _Aw, shavit! _Her world was still black, but she could breathe. Grateful, she took several deep breaths; feeling her panic gradually subside, she slowly took stock of her body. Her head was pounding, and her back ached, but besides that, she was fine. Well, as fine as somebody could be when that person's head and back hurt. _I would kill for some pain relievers. _

Carth jumped off of his bed when the now familiar thrashing sounded from the other side of the room, but slowed when he saw the woman bolt upwards and just sit there for a few moments. In the past three days of an experience that he compared to hell, she had yet to do that. And then he absolutely froze when she opened her eyes. She had opened them before, it was true, but she hadn't been quite lucid then.

"Jae?" he asked cautiously, kneeling before her to test her reaction.

Aminta swallowed hard at the sound of a man's voice, and quickly turned her head to face him, the action causing stars to fly behind her eyes. _What is wrong with me?_ She lifted a hand to her aching head and winced when she felt the tenderness there. _This is not good. _

Carth frowned slightly at seeing her confusion. "Jae, are you all right?" he asked quietly. Her eyes hardened at the gentle tone of his voice, and the corners of his mouth quirked upwards. _Yep, she's all right._

_Oh gods no!_ Aminta thought, hoping that this wasn't just another twist to her nightmare. When his hand made contact with her shoulder, her muscles jerked. _Nope, no nightmare. _She quickly reached for the dagger at her belt, and frowned slightly when she realized that it wasn't there.

Carth saw the movement, and frowned, placing his hand on hers to still her motion. "It's with the rest of the weapons you had," he said, pointing the footlocker on her side of the room. Even as he said it, he wondered again how in all of the galaxies she had fit so many on her person. And the grenades… When he and Mayenna had begun to strip off the remaining bits of Aminta's uniform the morning after he had first arrived at the apartment, they had both been shocked at how many there were, and Carth had been even more surprised at exactly how light she was without all of the junk strapped to her body.

Aminta jerked her hand out from beneath Carth's and glared at him. "Don't touch me," she ordered, and he backed away, and amused smile playing across his features. Aminta scowled deeper, and pushed the blankets off of her, shivering when the cool air brushed over her bare arms and legs. She frowned slightly, and looked down to see what she was wearing. A bandage was wrapped around her from her collarbone to her navel, and beneath that, she was wearing nothing but a pair of underwear. _Well this is absolutely lovely! It appears that he'd already touched me._ She glared at him, and pulled the blanket back over her legs.

Carth flushed slightly, and attempted to explain. "Your uniform was bloody, and I had to get you out of it…Mayenna, the girl who brought us her, well, she offered to give you some of her stuff, but her clothes were a bit too big for you, so we just left you in that," he stammered, and then cleared his throat. War made for immodesty during surgery and its aftermath, but it had no influence on what happened when the patient was fully conscious.

Aminta furrowed her brow, attempting to place the name, but found that she couldn't. And this man standing before her was vaguely familiar, but she could remember little of him. "I think you'd better tell me what's been going on," she informed him, crossing her arms over her chest. Her voice came out harsh and angry, but she didn't care. When she spoke like that, people were intimidated of her, and that's what she wanted. People who she grew to care for had the uncanny knack of leaving her or dying. It was better for them to fear her than to love her anyway.

But Carth wasn't intimidated. "You honestly remember nothing?" he asked incredulously. Aminta glared at him, and Carth raised his hands. "Alright, alright. Well, you were aboard the Endar Spire, and the Sith attacked…"

Suddenly, vague recollections began to swarm her mind, and then sharpened in intensity. "Trask?" she demanded, but no sooner than the name was out of her mouth that she realized the horrible truth. It was indeed very true that those she cared most for had the uncanny knack of dying, but that didn't make the pain any easier to bear.

She must have broadcasted her emotions across her face, because the next thing she knew, Carth was sitting beside her, gently rubbing her back in a way that was oddly comforting. She leaned into him for a brief moment, allowing herself to bask in grief before hastily pulling herself away from Carth, embarrassed that she had showed such weakness. She said a final goodbye to Trask in her mind, swallowing back the tears that threatened to spill over, before forever shutting Trask into the dark recesses of her memories. "I remember what happened on the Spire," she said hoarsely, scooting farther away from the man beside her. "But I need to know what happened afterward," she told him, her voice hard and bored again. This was the third time that she had consciously showed him weakness, and she was determined that he wouldn't get past her defenses again.

But Carth knew all too well what she was doing; after all, he did the same thing. And in that knowledge, he also understood that she knew that he could tell that she was covering, but that she desperately wished that he would pretend that he didn't. So, he didn't push the matter of how raw her emotions must be, and rather told her all that had happened since she had been unconscious, omitting the details of her many fierce nightmares.

Aminta run a hand through her tangled hair, and absently wondered at how she looked. "So, how long have I been out?" she asked, pulling her long, thick, curly mass of hair over one shoulder and began to attack it with her fingers.

Carth watched her in amusement. "About three days," he said with a shrug as he bent down and retrieved a hairbrush from the orange bag that he had found in the escape pod several days before. He held the brush out to Aminta with a slight smile. _Please don't let her be vain! She really looks awful, and if she is…_

Aminta glanced from Carth to the hairbrush, and up to the man's face again. "If you put itching powder in that, I swear I'm going to kill you," she muttered as she took it from him and brought it to her nose, warily examining it before running it through her hair.

Despite himself, Carth laughed. Aminta jumped slightly at the sound. People generally didn't laugh at her, and for good reason. She was gruff, mean, and sarcastic. Only those who entered her life at an unstable, suicidal point had ever been able to see past that… or those that she had chosen to. And Carth was certainly belonged in neither group. But his laugh was nice. It came from his gut, not his throat, as so many men she had known. It reminded her of Kael, and she was suddenly awash with memories. _Don't you dare! Not while someone is in the room! You are not going to break down now! _She scolded herself, and managed a decent scowl at him. The guy was really starting to get under her skin, and to think, she'd been awake only for a grand total of seven minutes.

"Don't worry, A… Aminta," he said, pronouncing her name Ah-mint-ah. "There's no itching powder there. I don't even have any, and if you're not convinced of my innocence you can check the supplies," he said, and frowned slightly when she shrugged. "How exactly do you pronounce your name?" he asked, his frown deepening.

"It's said Ah-meen-tah, but lots of people mispronounce it. I've gotten somewhat used to being called something that sounds a lot like a candy," she said with a roll of her eyes, and then groaned when the hairbrush met a particularly vicious tangle. "Well, this is just peachy," she grunted as she yanked at it. But all of her pulling and yanking only served to make it worse, and to bring another explosion of pain into her head.

"You doing alright?" Carth asked with a raised brow, and didn't back down when she threw him an absolutely murderous glare.

"Yeah, I'm doing absolutely wonderful. Long hair is an absolute joy!" she exclaimed with a sarcastic drawl as she doubled her efforts on her hair, attempting to ignore Carth's grin. _How dare he laugh at me? In case he hasn't noticed, I've had a particularly hard morning, and he definitely hasn't been helping matters. The least he could do is to offer a little bit of support! _

Carth watched Aminta's face fall slightly, and he winced. _Well, I feel like a jerk,_ he berated himself as he sat down next to her. Remembering how she hated being treated with gentleness when she felt exposed, he simply reached around her and grabbed the hairbrush from her hands.

"Hey!" she exclaimed indignantly, and whirled around to get it back from him. Carth forcibly turned her back around, and put the hairbrush to her hair. "I have plenty of experience doing this kind of thing, alright? Just relax for a second while I work the knot out!" he exclaimed when she tried to grab the brush from his again.

Aminta crossed her arms over her chest and looked out the window, the only true source of beauty in the whole bedroom. She didn't offer further argument, but she didn't relax either. Carth was gentle, something that she hadn't anticipated, and she slowly found herself getting used to his touch. It was certainly a lot more comfortable having him brush out her hair for her than having her do it herself. She was glad that her back was facing him at the moment; he had seen far too many of her true emotions. She cleared her throat quickly, "So, Carth. Tell me a little bit about yourself," she said, pulling a lock of hair over her shoulder and twirling it around a long, slender finger. Carth's hand froze on her hair, and Aminta could feel his trepidation. _So, we all have our secrets._

He recovered quickly and began to brush out the tangle again. He was making progress, but the thing was massive! "Well, you already know my name, as for my age, I'm not sure that you want to know that, but, I'm probably old enough to be your father, and I'm a pilot. I've been fighting the Sith since the Mandalorian Wars, so… I've been in the army for quite some time. I was recently named Captain, so, I was assigned to be an advisor to the Jedi aboard the Spire. I'm sure that's something that I should take pride in," he told her as he continued to work on the knot. _If she pries, I think I'll swallow my blaster._

"Name, age, and rank. The standard response to all personal questions asked," Aminta said with a small smile. She should know; that had been ingrained into her head since she'd turned nineteen. "But I could have found any of that information out by looking you up on the holonet."

_Yeah, she's going to pry,_ Carth thought, looking longingly towards his blaster for a moment. "Well then, why don't you tell me about yourself?" he retorted, still attempting to get the knot from her hair. _If she is as impossible as this tangle is…_

"Well, you already know my name, no decent man would ask a woman her age, and the Endar Spire was my very first and hopefully last assignment with the Republic," she smirked, imitating the tone of voice he had used when he had told her about himself.

_Okay, so she apparently is as impossible as her hair. This is just my luck. _"So, now who is getting out of answering a question by giving out name, age, and rank?" he asked, purposely tugging the brush through her hair a little harder.

"Well, why do you want to know about me?" she retorted as she turned her head to glare at him. "And don't pretend to be innocent; I know that you pulled my hair on purpose," she huffed, turning back around and crossing her arms over her chest.

Carth snorted. "Well, you asked about me first. Why do you want to know about me?" her replied, gentling the strokes of the brush again. _The girl is too smart for her own good. _

Suddenly, Aminta began to laugh. Carth started with surprise; he had begun to get the impression that the woman hated him. "You know what, Onasi? You aren't half bad," she managed through her laughter. "Actually, you're a pretty good sport; not many people have been able to go against me for as long as you have."

Carth chuckled slightly. "That's probably because most people are probably smart enough not to stick their heads into a lion's den."

"So are you saying that you're dumb?" she baited him, raising a brow.

Carth set down the brush for a moment, and put his hands on her shoulders. _She is probably going to bite my head off after I say this, but… Oh well. _"No. I'm someone who realizes that the lion is just a housecat that only pretends to be a lion to keep from being hurt." His voice wasn't kind or consoling; he stated it as a fact. He knew full well how much she disliked being treated with gentleness when she felt vulnerable.

Aminta went still for a moment, and felt a wave of panic wash over her mind. Never had someone seen through her so easily before…well, no one since Kael, that is. Maybe the fact that he reminded her so much of her husband was what kept her from turning around and slapping him, as she most likely would have done to everyone else. Or maybe it was the fact that she had a nagging feeling that he was hurting as deeply as she was. She frowned as she examined that possibility, and realized that it was probably all too true. He reacted and avoided personal questions just as she did. In a way, it was comforting to be with someone so like herself. "Maybe you see the lion as a housecat because you are also hiding something from the world," she said softly, and turned around to face him.

Carth gaped at her. She was intelligent, that was for certain. And she was so like him that he shouldn't have been surprised at how she was able too see past his exterior and realize the pain that he was hiding. He didn't deny her claim; how could he? "We all have out secrets," he told her, echoing her thoughts from moments before.

_Indeed we do,_ Aminta thought with a sad smile. _But this has gone far enough; it's one thing for him to realize what's going on, and another thing to break down in front of someone that I just met._ She abruptly turned around, and presented her hair to him again. "Can you finish already? My grandmother could do this faster than you can!"

Carth chuckled, and allowed the subject to change. After all, an abused cat wasn't healed overnight. Alas, he knew that all too well.

* * *

Well, I hope that you liked it. Anyway, please leave somments for me, but, I would really appreciate it if you didn't use f, godd, or any of the less commonly accepted curse words. Feel free to use ones that sound like they came from star wars though. I might get a kick out of reading them. :)


	3. Chapter 3

Hi everyone! Sorry it took so long to post again, but I had this bloody awful AP exam (I am so burning that study book!) and the day after that was done, I left for NYC. Life really gets in the way of writing, doesn't it?

Well, as always I want to say a major thank-you to all of my readers and to everyone who reviews my work. You keep me going when I start getting a really bad case of writer's block. And, of course, a big, gigantic thank-you to Rainwood, who helps to shape and add depth to my stories through the constructive criticism.

Note: So that it will be easier to picture, in our world, Ami would be a Japanese/Caucasian mix with blue eyes.

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Several hours later, Aminta found herself sitting opposite a very talkative twi'lek girl while Carth was in the 'fresher. She wouldn't have minded if the girl had been a rambler; then all she would have had to have done was nod her head in the appropriate places, and occasionally throw in a "yes" or "oh my!" But this girl wasn't a rambler. She was a questioner. So, Aminta was forced to resign herself to sit and listen to the twi'lek's stories.

Most of the conversation thus far had to do with the doctor that she was working for. Supposedly Aminta was going to be taken to him after Carth got out of the sonic shower. _If he ever gets out of that blasted shower!_ Aminta thought with an inward smile as she smiled politely and attempted to listen to Mayenna's stream of conversation.

"…And then Zelka had to suture the wound, and I nearly passed out! Watching skin getting stitched up is so gross! All in all, the surgery was a success. But then the guy made the stupid mistake of going down to the lower city. He was killed in a swoop gang fight because the gash re-opened! Zelka was pretty ticked off, and since then, he's made his patients promise not to go into the lower city until they were finished healing." Mayenna finished her story, sinking back into the couch and smiling with pleasure.

When Aminta smiled, it was genuine. _She's finally done! If I have to hear one more story about that stupid medical clinic, I'm going to… _

Mayenna interrupted Aminta's thoughts before she could carry them through. "So, since I've loaded you with information about me this past hour, why don't you tell me about yourself?" the girl asked brightly, leaning forward so that her elbows were on her knees and her chin rested in her hands.

Aminta blinked. _O gods no! Two interrogations on my life in the past day; that has got to be a new record. On second thought, no it isn't. There was that time when Vogga actually caught me…_ Aminta cleared her throat. "What do you want to know?" she questioned, skillfully dodging the question.

Mayenna frowned slightly. "I don't know. Anything I guess," she said with an indifferent shrug.

Aminta licked her lips and her hand moved to rub her collarbone. "Well, I was on the ship that blew up," she informed the girl as she crossed her legs. _That is all that she's getting out of me. She's just a kid! She really doesn't need to know anything that I've been through._

"Well I already knew that!" Mayenna exclaimed as she sank back into the couch with disappointment.

The corners of Aminta's mouth turned up into a small grin, and her hand dropped from her clavicle. "You told me that you wanted to know anything about me. The fact that I was on the Spire is something, isn't it?"

"That wasn't what I meant when I said anything!" Mayenna exclaimed indignantly, crossing her arms over her chest with a pout.

Aminta grinned at the girl's discomfort, and settled more comfortably into her chair. "Well, I took it that way, now didn't I?" she asked with a light smile as she pulled a pillow onto her lap.

Mayenna sunk deeper into the couch and furrowed her brow so that white lines marred her flawless pink face. "Whatever," she mumbled under her breath. After a few moments of silence, the girl perked back up again. "Where'd your blue eyes come from?" she asked, straightening up once more.

Aminta's hand went back to her collarbone again, but she pasted on a sardonic grin. "They're not store-bought if that's what you're asking. They come from the magical pool of genetics." Aminta waved her hands as though casting a spell when she said the last part, causing Mayenna to roll her eyes.

"Yeah, yeah. I'm well versed with genetics. My dad was white, my mom was red, and so I turned out pink. There's nothing magic about that," Mayenna informed Aminta with a look and a shrug of her shoulders. "But that's normal, you know? But you, well… You're Deralian right?"

Aminta coughed and blinked slowly, her fingers absently rubbing over her clavicle. "What would make you think that?" she asked, deflecting Mayenna's question.

Mayenna rolled her eyes. "Come on. You've got the black hair, the gold skin, the slanty eyes… you practically scream Deralian," she informed Aminta as she leaned a little further forward.

"Fine, I'm Deralian. So, what of it?" Irritation clouded Aminta's voice, and she was glad of it. It would be far easier for Mayenna to justify Aminta snapping at her than for the twi'lek to explain the tears in the human's eyes.

"Deralians have brown eyes. I mean, eyes that are so brown that they're almost black. You, however, have really, really blue ones. That isn't very likely to be a natural color. But since you say it is… where did you get them from?"

Aminta's hand rubbed against her collarbone with renewed force as she became caught up in memories. A soft smile…a whimsical laugh… too many a tear shed by eyes as blue as the sky… Aminta cleared her throat quickly in an attempt to dissolve the lump that was forming there. "My mother." Her statement was spoken softly, her eyes lowered to the ground. The word conjured up a thousand images, all of which she yearned to leave buried. She was immobilized for several minutes, staring at a stain in the carpet as she attempted to block all of the pain from her mind.

Miraculously, Mayenna said nothing. The twi'lek also lowered her gaze to her small pink hands, also caught up in times past. The silence between them grew uncomfortable, filled with knowledge of each other's pain, but also the refusal to acknowledge their own. Life was a cruel teacher, and they had learned their lesson well.

"What happened to her?" Mayenna asked softly, daring to raise her amber colored eyes from her hands to Aminta's face. The woman's visage was a completely emotionless mask, and that scared Mayenna a little bit.

"I don't know," Aminta said flatly as she continued to stare at the floor. After a few moments of silence, Aminta raised her gaze from the floor and gave an indifferent shrug. "Well, the past is the past. You're better off leaving it far behind you," she told the girl with a slight smile.

Mayenna shrugged her shoulders. "Maybe. But sometimes it's really nice to look back on all the good things that happened, isn't it? I mean, when you feel lonely, you can remember your family… and then you don't feel so bad anymore. If you leave your past behind you, you're leaving a part of who you are behind you, and that only hurts you in the end."

Aminta let out a breathy laugh. The girl was smarter than she had originally given her credit for. "You've got some pretty strong opinions there for a kid. Exactly how old are you?" she asked as she shifted her weight and crossed her legs.

Mayenna frowned at the unintentional insult of being called a kid, but shrugged it off. "I'm seventeen." Her tone was nonchalant, and she settled back into the chair. _But I've been through so much… I feel so much older._ The girl quickly brushed the thought away and grinned up at Aminta. "So, how old are you?"

Aminta pressed a hand to her chest and feigned offense. "Never ask a woman her age, young lady!" she exclaimed with mock indignation, earning her a giggle from the girl. For some reason, Mayenna's giggle didn't irk her nearly as much as Leoma's had. _Leoma… No! Not now! Save your tears for later…when you're alone._ "But since you asked so nicely… I'm twenty seven."

"Woa! You're almost thirty!" Mayenna exclaimed, her eyes rounded.

"Thanks," Aminta grumbled and glared at the kid. However, she found that she couldn't be upset with Mayenna for long. The girl had wide eyes and dimples… Who could resist a face like that?

"Sorry," Mayenna sheepishly said. "You look so much younger though. No wrinkles or anything!"

Aminta laughed. "Honey, you make thirty sound like its ancient. It's right around the corner for you… Believe me, life goes by really fast."

Carth entered the room at that moment, his auburn locks wet and disheveled from the shower. "What's this about thirty being ancient?" he asked as he plopped down next to Mayenna on the couch.

"Our resident teenager seems to think that at thirty you'll have wrinkles and age spots," Aminta informed him wryly as she settled more comfortably in the chair.

Carth laughed heartily and slung an arm over the girl's shoulders. "Ah, that belief only proves how incredibly young she is," he chuckled as he nudged Mayenna.

"That's ridiculous! I didn't mean it that way!" the girl exclaimed indignantly. Then, a sly smile blossomed onto her face. "You don't get those until you're nearly forty!" she said coyly as she batted her eyelashes up at Carth.

"Cute," Carth muttered dryly as he cuffed the back of her head.

"Hey watch the lekku!" Mayenna exclaimed as she placed a hand over her head-tails protectively.

Aminta watched the exchange between the pair with a slight smile, and only hoped that Carth knew enough not to get too attached. "I hate to interrupt the love session you've got going here, but Forn's office has been open for an hour now."

Carth laughed and stood up quickly, walking over to where Aminta sat and helping her up. "Right," he agreed, and then looked over her carefully. "Is your back doing any better?" he asked as he watched her face intently.

Aminta shrugged. "The pain meds have kicked in, and the make up that Mayenna gave me cover most of the bruising on my face, so that's okay."

"That isn't what I asked."

_Damn that man! He's entirely too smart for his own good!_ "I have a very high tolerance for pain," she muttered. Carth opened his mouth like he was about to protest, and she lifted her hand to still his words. "Leave it," she warned him. For once, Carth dropped it. _It's a good thing too. I was ready to box his ears if he didn't shut up._

Carth smiled slightly, and put his arm around Aminta's trim waist as he guided her towards the door. His brow crinkled when Aminta winced with pain, and he placed his arm around her shoulders instead. _Just in case she needs support or something_, he told himself, but his body was swiftly betraying his mind. _Damn!_

————————————

Aminta sat patiently as Zelka Forn examined the healing wound on her back, ignoring the constant questions that a hovering Mayenna kept throwing at her.

"Does this hurt?" Zelka asked as he applied pressure to a part of her back, holding a medical chart in one hand.

Aminta gritted her teeth. "No, that doesn't hurt," she muttered as she pulled the towel draped across her bare torso closer to her. _Damn doctors. All they ever do is end up hurting you more with their stupid probing fingers. _

Zelka tapped something into the datapad and then looked back up at her with dark, rheumy eyes. "What about this?" the old man asked as he touched a different area of the inflamed skin.

Aminta crossed her legs and rolled her eyes. "Look, my back doesn't hurt, okay? Just remove your hands and let me be!" she exclaimed as she began to swing a leg back and forth.

"Quite a handful, isn't she?" Zelka remarked dryly with a glance towards Carth.

Carth shrugged. "She has her good points too," he said, the corners of his mouth quirking upwards with good humor.

"I'm glad that you think this is funny, flyboy!" Aminta muttered darkly as she glared at the pilot. Onasi flashed her one of his most charming smiles, and Aminta scowled at him.

"What about here?" Zelka asked as he pressed a finger into the flesh of her back again.

This time, a searing pain ripped from where his hand was to the rest of her body, causing Aminta to squeeze her eyes shut and whimper. Once it had subsided to a dull ache, Aminta lifted her tear-filled gaze to the doctor and managed a smirk. "I feel peachy keen, can't you tell?" she ground out. _This is the last time that I ever go to see a doctor!_

Zelka stared at her for a brief moment before smiling and shaking his head. "Sit right there; I'm going to go get some fresh supplies," the elderly man told her with a shake of his dark, bald, head. "Come and help me, will you Mayenna?" Zelka called over his shoulder, and Mayenna scurried to catch up with him.

Once the pair had gone, Carth walked over to where Aminta sat and took her hand. "Are you alright? And don't you dare lie to me," he asked as he hoisted himself up onto the examining table next to her.

Aminta shrugged. "It hurts but I have a high tolerance for pain. But once some bloody doctor goes and pushes as hard as he can onto the most sensitive spot in the injury…" her voice rose with each word, and she ended with an angry glare towards the door that Zelka had just walked through.

Carth chuckled. "Go easy on him. He's an old guy, and he's risking his butt to help us," he told er with a slight smile.

Aminta grudgingly acknowledged what Carth said with a string of unintelligible mumblings before pushing herself off of the table, wincing when a sharp stab of pain ran through her back.

"You really shouldn't moving around right now," Carth warned her, but she simply waved him off. Carth shrugged, and stepped off of the table as well, following close behind her.

"I'm a big girl, Onasi. You don't have to shadow me," Aminta informed Carth without looking back at him as she began to examine a locked door that was labeled 'Personnel Only.'

"Well, what if you fall down or something? I don't want you to re-open that gash that you've got back there."

"Paranoid," Aminta muttered as she pulled a hairpin from the elaborate knot at the back of her head.

"Accusatory," Carth countered, crossing his arms over his chest as he leaned against a wall.

"Annoying."

"Hot tempered."

Aminta grinned as she began to pick the lock, her smile widening when she heard Carth begin to sputter in protest. "Well, now that we've got the childish name calling out of the way, let's do something productive," she mumbled as she continued to twist her hands at odd angles in order to unlock the door.

"Can you read?" Carth asked pointedly as he walked over to her and made to snatch her hairpin from her hand. _For the love of the gods, what kind of woman knows how to pick a lock with a hairpin?_ Aminta quickly turned her back to him so that her hands were out of his reach. _Apparently her kind._

"Contrary to popular belief, I'm not completely ignorant," Aminta grunted, and then sighed with satisfaction when she heard the lock give way with a slight clicking sound.

"Do you not see the sign?" he asked as he pointed towards the one that read 'Personnel Only.' He then crossed his arms over his chest and blocked her passage into the room.

"Yeah, well rules were made to be broken." She then brushed him aside and entered the room, stopping short when she saw what was within.

Carth followed close behind her. "This is a little thing known as breaking and entering. We could be arrested for…" He trailed off as he too looked around him, and his arms fell slack to his sides. Kolto tanks filled with republic soldiers lined the room; the wounds on each person mortal.

Aminta's breath caught in her throat as she looked into the faces of each crewmember there. She recognized all of them. There was Creugh, the jerk who had tried to cheat her out of a hundred credits, but who had a soft spot for his wife and kid back home. And beside him was Fraun, a soldier who had been on his way home to marry his childhood sweetheart. Koran, a weasel and a drunk with an affinity for blasters… Solah, a single mother who had wanted nothing more to go home and raise her son… Geom, one of the few sparring companions that she'd had that had kept her on her toes… Dari, a woman of loose morals who had just discovered that she was pregnant… a senior officer who had always smiled at her when she had passed him in the halls…Leoma…_Leoma!_

Aminta drew in a ragged breath at the sight of her friend, the woman's dark hair tangled and matted about her face, her dark skin bearing a grayish tint, her luminous brown eyes closed most likely for an eternity. Her heart sank to the depths of her stomach, and she covered her mouth to stifle a mournful cry. Aminta took a step back, bumping into Carth's chest, but neither bothered to move away from each other.

Carth knew none of the soldiers in the tanks with the exception of Officer Geringbough, but the sight of so many crewmembers that had been on his ship alive and well only days before that were now nearing death… it hurt. When Carth was finally able to drag his gaze away from the Kolto tanks, he trained his eyes upon Aminta. The woman's golden skin was pale; her blue eyes dull, a small hand covering her mouth. "Did you know any of them?" he asked softly as he gently touched her shoulder.

Upon hearing Carth's voice, Aminta quickly donned her emotionless mask, and turned away from Leoma's form and back to Carth. "Yes; some better than others," her voice was flat; emotionless; the tone that Carth had come to identify as the one that was hiding unbearable pain.

"What are you two doing in here? Didn't you read the sign?" Zelka's voice cut into the emotion laden moment, and both Carth and Aminta whirled around to face him. "Do you know how much trouble I could get into if anybody hears about this?" he demanded, slamming the doors behind him just as Mayenna entered.

"Don't worry, doctor. Your secret is safe with us," Carth attempted to reassure the elderly man, and nudged Aminta to attempt to get a similar response from her. But the woman ignored him and had turned back around to stare at her crewmates.

"He wouldn't dare go to the Sith. He's republic too, remember Zelka?" Mayenna interjected, and Carth silently blessed the girl for her support.

Zelka looked from Mayenna to the pair in front of the kolto tanks and back again before sighing wearily, and turning to lock the door. "Just please be very careful about this. The sith have come to investigate the facility several times already and found nothing, but if they hear about what I've done…" Zelka's voice trailed off as he allowed the implications to sink in.

Carth nodded slowly, but it was Aminta who responded. "Where did you find them?" she asked, her voice still empty, her eyes never leaving the tank that Leoma was floating in.

Zelka looked to the woman and sighed, running a hand through his almost non-existent hair. "People found them and brought them to me. Unfortunately, there's not much that I can do for them except to make their last days more comfortable," Zelka breathed sadly as his eyes roamed over all of the lost lives.

Aminta swallowed past the lump in her throat and turned away from her friend to face the old man. "And for that you have our thanks," she said softly, gratitude replacing the emptiness in her voice.

Zelka nodded slowly, and began to withdraw from the room. "Let us leave them in peace. Come now, I have to re-bandage that wound of yours."

Carth gently took Aminta's elbow in his hands and went to draw her from the room, but she didn't move. He frowned slightly at her, and she gave him a ghost of a smile. "Could you guys give me a minute or two?" she asked softly.

Zelka nodded and withdrew from the room, Mayenna and Carth following close behind him. Once the three were gone and the door shut behind them, Aminta made her way over to the kolto tank where her friend rested. Aminta let out a broken sigh as she touched the cool glass with her fingertips, and then rested her head against it, inches away from Leoma's own. "I'll miss you," she whispered fiercely as she closed her eyes against the onslaught of emotions that threatened to overwhelm her. Tears began to trickle from her eyes as she lifted a prayer to the heavens, _in your infinite mercy, grant her rest… grant her peace._ And although Aminta made a point to do neither very often, she felt that her friend deserved a tear and a prayer.

———————————

Aminta was strangely silent on their walk from the clinic, and Carth glanced nervously in her direction. "Credit for your thoughts?" he asked with a crooked smile, attempting to put their joined unease behind them.

"Hm?" Aminta looked up at him, her browed furrowed.

"Credit for your thoughts? What, you've never heard that expression before?"

"It sounds vaguely familiar, but…"

Carth chuckled and shook his head. "I guess I'm a whole lot older than I thought I was." He grinned down at her, and she returned the smile. Soon though, her concentration was lost on the pavement in front of her. Carth coughed to get her attention again. "Where do you think that we should start looking for Bastila?" he asked in an attempt to divert her current thoughts towards more productive ones.

"Who?" Aminta wondered aloud, looking back up at Carth, squinting in the sunlight as she attempted to see his face. _He's way too tall…or I'm too short. No, there's nothing wrong with my height… he's definitely too tall._

"Bastila?" Carth demanded, his eyes gone wide. "The Jedi we're supposed to be looking for? You know, the one who crashed on this planet and is our ticket out of here? Didn't you listen to anything that I said back in the apartment?" _She is utterly impossible! Does she bother to actually tune in to any of the conversations people start with her?_

"Oh, you mean the bratty Jedi poster child." The moment the words were out of her mouth, Aminta groaned and rolled her eyes. _I always did have problems controlling my tongue. I bet I'd make one heck of a Jedi._

Carth's wide eyed stare of disbelief quickly morphed into a slack jawed look of disbelief, which in turn changed into a broad grin. "What did you just say?"

Aminta groaned again, louder this time. "It's just something that Trask said before… well… You have to admit it's true. I mean that woman really acts like she's got something stuck up her…"

"You'll get no argument here," he managed through bouts of laughter. "I'm the one that had to work with her, remember?" Carth's grin broadened slightly at the smile blossoming onto the woman's face. _Yep, the Onasi charm still works._ "But seriously, our feelings regarding her should have no impact on what we do while planet-bound. We should show her some respect; after all, she is our commanding officer…"

"Not mine; at least not anymore. I am definitely quitting this stupid job the second I get back home."

Carth smiled at her. "Either way, you're still a member of the Republic for the moment, which means you're still under the command of…"

"Miss high and mighty." Aminta finished his sentence for him as she struck a very dignified Bastila-like pose.

Carth choked on his laughter. "Yes, Bastila." He put a slight emphasis on the Jedi's name, and Aminta rolled her eyes.

"Alright, alright. I got it. We find the girl before we can think about shipping out."

"And?" Carth prompted, placing his hands on his hips as his lips quirked upwards into a smile.

Aminta crossed her arms over her chest and shifted all her weight to one leg. "And I use her name correctly; no miss high and mighty, bratty Jedi poster child, and all that." She sounded like a six year old who had been caught in the cookie jar, and wasn't completely convinced that stealing the cookies was wrong. Suddenly, the six year old was gone, and a sly grin flit across her features. "At least not to her face," she finished with a slight smirk.

Carth shook his head slightly, trying to hide a smile. Despite himself, he couldn't help but be drawn to the woman's resilient personality. She had just seen exactly how close her surviving comrades were to their deaths, and she was already cracking jokes. _It's a defense mechanism; joking and sarcasm,_ he swiftly tucked that nugget of information away with everything else he'd gathered on her.

"Are you checking me out?" Aminta's voice cut into his thoughts, and he quickly realized that he had been staring.

Carth snapped his jaw shut, and mustered a condescending grin. "Nope. If I were checking you out, you'd know it. Besides, I don't think I'll be doing that any time soon, especially to you…"

Aminta scowled at him, and increased her pace. Unfortunately, his legs were much longer than hers and he caught up easily. Aminta's scowl deepened, but she refused to look up at him. "What? What did I say?" Carth demanded, reaching out to touch her shoulder.

Aminta shrugged his hand off and threw him a glare. "Look, I know that I'm ugly, but that doesn't mean you have the right to make me feel…"

Carth held up a hand. "Woa, girl. Calm down a second. Who ever said that you were ugly?" he demanded.

Aminta's fierce gaze faltered and dropped to the ground for a moment before she looked back up at him with fire in her eyes. "Please; as if you didn't mean…Well, all you have to do is look at me!" She exclaimed, spreading her arms wide.

Carth's brow knit together as he studied the woman who stood before him. Her eyes slanted upwards at the corners; her lashes were neither short nor long. Her cheekbones were a little too high, her eyebrows too arched, her jaw a bit too square, her lips too full, and she had a peculiar little bump in the middle of an otherwise tiny nose. In short, she was not pretty. But the smooth angles of her face combined in a strangely pleasant way so that she gave off a sort of exotic beauty. Carth rested his hands on her shoulders, and looked into her blue eyes. "I don't know what would give you such an idea, but you are not ugly." He put a slight emphasis on each of the last words of the statement, and he watched Aminta squirm under his gaze. _She's self conscious,_ he realized, and that startled him. She had seemed so self-assured… _Who on earth would tell the girl that she was ugly?_

Aminta didn't like the way that Carth was looking at her; like he was actually seeing her rather than the facade that she threw up. "You're sweet," she said simply, and patted his cheek as though he were a small child. "So, about finding Bastila," she prompted, quickly changing the subject. _Why'd you even bring up your looks? You idiot. Don't you ever learn?_

"Where do you think that we should start?" Carth asked, gracefully allowing the abrupt subject change as he continued walking.

"Mayenna said something about most of the pods crashing in the under city, right?"

Carth nodded. "You're right. We should probably start there."

"So, how exactly do we get down there?"

"Well, she said something about an elevator…"

———————————-

"Damn," Carth Onasi shouted as he walked away from the elevator, guarded by a sith. He and Aminta had been attempting to get down to the lower city, where most of the republic escape pods had supposedly crashed, only to find out that it was impossible to get down to the lower levels unless you sported a sith uniform or identification papers.

"Care to say that any louder?" Aminta asked him, a touch of sarcasm in her voice as she glanced at the sith patrol over her shoulder. "You know, just in case he didn't hear you the first time?"

"Trust me, there's a whole host of other choice words that I'd like to say to him," Carth muttered.

Aminta laughed, and Carth was struck at the sound. He hadn't heard her laugh before and it was as musical as her voice. "I'd like to say a few things to him too, but cursing someone in a thousand languages won't get anything done but get your hide thrown in jail."

"Though I'm sure that if it was you to curse him, he'd smile and wish you a good day," Carth told her with a grin.

"Are you trying to tell me something flyboy? Because if you are, you sure are beating around the bush." Aminta told him, her grin growing to match his own, and she punched him playfully.

"Believe whatever you want, beautiful."

"We've already established that I'm not, but…Hell, I'll play along. Anyways, I do like the sound of that," Aminta said, tapping her chin with her index finger in mock concentration.

"What, that you can believe what you want or that you're beautiful?"

"Hmm," Aminta peered up at him from beneath her eyelashes with a playful smile. "Both. But you know, beautiful doesn't seem to fit me too well."

"Oh?" Carth asked, suppressing laughter, "And what does?"

"Gorgeous maybe, or ravishing, although devastatingly beautiful will suffice," she informed him, somehow managing to keep a straight face. _So what if I'm ugly… this is fun; I deserve a couple of laughs every now and again, don't I?_

Carth burst out laughing. So much for ugly. "And what will you call me in return?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.

"How about…" Aminta thought quickly, "The handsomest thug?"

"Nope, sorry honey. You want me to call you ravishing it'll have to be something more stupendous!"

"What, you mean like, sexist worm?" she asked innocently.

Carth chuckled. "Surely you can do better than that!"

"Oh you mean something like a sexless gammorean's pet toad?"

"Ouch," Carth exclaimed. "You really do get rolling, don't you?" he asked, feigning offence. "And to think, you talk to your commanding officer that way!" He exclaimed, his voice laced with fake shock.

"I am truly sorry, sir, I meant no offense. Anyway, you started it!" she exclaimed and stuck her tongue out at him. Carth shook his head. She would never cease to amaze him.

"Anyway, you didn't tell me what you wanted to be called yet," she told him with a quick smile, looking up at him. Carth suddenly realized what a child she looked like in comparison to him. Why, she could be his daughter! Well, that might be pushing it, but he still had a good thirteen years on her.

"Huh?" he asked when he saw she was staring at him.

Aminta rolled her eyes and repeated her question. Carth frowned for a moment, pretending to think, and then looked down at her. "How about…the handsomest man in all the galaxy!"

Aminta shook her head. "You're cute, Carth, but not that cute," she told him with a coy smile.

"Cute? I'm not sure that that's a word that a man wants himself described as. Children are cute, not grown men," he exclaimed, feigning offense.

"Well then, replace cute with any word that you can think of," she told him with a nonchalant shrug. At his growing smile she rolled her eyes. "But not that one!" _Men._

"Well, then, I guess you'll just have to be content with beautiful, now won't you?" he informed her with a smug smile.

"And I guess flyboy will just have to do," she said in turn.

Carth shook his head. "All joking aside, we should seriously get to business," he told her. "Now, where can we get some sith uniforms?" he muttered under his breath.

"Let's go to the Cantina," she suggested, and Carth stared at her.

"The Cantina?" he asked, not quite sure whether or not she was serious.

"Of course. We need to think, and I'm thirsty. Let's go!" she exclaimed, grabbing his hand and pulling him towards the building.

Carth shook his head, followed her, and grasped her hand with his own. When she went to pull away, he held it tighter.

"Hey, flyboy, not that I mind or anything, but I think you're cutting off my circulation," she told him with a smirk, glancing at him over her shoulder.

Carth shrugged and dropped it. "Whatever you say, Beautiful."

"Thank you," she grinned, and hurried into the cantina.

They entered the building, and Carth found it took his eyes a moment to adjust to the dim lighting. When he could see fine, he noticed that Aminta was busy looking around the bar. He tapped her shoulder. "The bar is that way," he told her with smirk, and she followed his gaze.

I know that," she informed him haughtily, and continued looking around.

"Here, I only brought forty credits with me, but it should probably buy something decent," he said, and dug the credit chips out of his pocket. He attempted to hand them to her, but she waved him off.

"If I'm lucky, I won't need any." With that, she left, and made her way over to a rather scrawny looking man sitting alone at a booth.

Carth's eyes followed her incredulously, and he shook his head. "I need a drink," he muttered, and hurried over to the bartender.

Aminta glanced backwards just in time to see that Carth had ordered a rather tall glass of Tarisian ale. _He's a goner. I wonder how much I'll have to pay a bouncer to drag him back to our apartment… Oh well, it's nothing I can't make off of a pazaak table._ Secure in her knowledge that she would be able to get Carth home, she turned her attention back to the loner at the booth. The man's pasty skin, shifty eyes, as well as a lack of company clearly defined him as a Sith. Now for the uniform… _I really hope that there's another way besides sex to get him out of that tin can. Even if there isn't, that's nothing I haven't handled before…_ Aminta quickly swallowed back the wave of nauseating repulsion that swept over her at the thought. _Don't think; just act._

"This seat taken?" Aminta asked softly, and the man turned wide eyes on her as he shook his head dumbly. _Oh joy, at least the lack of looks is made up for by a brilliant mind._ Aminta coughed and managed a smile as she took her seat in the booth, sitting closer to him than necessary. "I'm Havine Garinger," she introduced, and extended her hand in greeting. She didn't use her real name; she never did.

"Yun," The man took her hand in his own and eyed her warily.

"Well then Yun, it's good to meet you," her voice was soft and sultry; her years of forced labor certainly helped in times like this. She peered at him from under her lashes. "Now why is a man as handsome as you sitting all alone?"

Yun glanced at her in disbelief. "You do know I'm sith, right? Everyone here hates the sith." His voice came out as more of a squeak than an actual human's voice, and Aminta covered her wince with a wounded look on his behalf.

"Well I don't see why," Aminta told him with a pretty pout. "Soldiers are so much more exciting then everyone else on this accursed planet!" Aminta leaned closer, and ran her index finger up over his chest.

"You're an off worlder?" he asked her, glancing down in shock. At her nod, he continued, "I'd think that off worlders would hate us more than Tarisians do."

"Well," Aminta began, leaning against him now, "I think that it's all a matter of perspective," she informed him, her eyes traveling over his body. _By all the gods and galaxies, he's ugly!_ Her mind cried out, but she kept her coy smile plastered on her face.

"Yeah, exactly!" Yun exclaimed. "No one here understands that!"

He seemed not to realize that she was coming on to him. _Yeah, I always get the smart ones._ She couched again to hide her irritation, and leaned even closer to him, brushing her lips over his ear. Automatically, all of her emotions turned off; she was now Havine Granger, slut extraordinaire.

Yun pulled back and stared at her with wide eyes for a few seconds until a huge smile spilt his face in two. _Yep, now he gets it._ "So, do you have anywhere that you have to be tonight, or…"

Yun grinned. "Not really. I'm fancy free until…" Yun glanced down at his chronometer, and sighed in annoyance. "Never mind. My shift starts soon, and I really have to go," he said, a look of resignation on his face.

Aminta pouted prettily. "Already?" she asked, looking very disappointed.

"Look, I'd really like to see you again," Yun told her anxiously. "We're having a party tonight, and I'd like it if you would come."

_Oh joy, drunken Sith. I think that I'll pass. Its not like they'll have their uniforms there anyway._ She quickly wracked her brain to come up with a suitable excuse. "Well, I have to get to work, and I don't think that I'll have time to change…"

"Don't let that worry you. We won't have time to change either; we'll be showing up to the party in our uniforms. Look, there'll be Tarisian ale and everything. Please say that you'll come."

_Looks like I found another way to get him out of his uniform after all._ "I'd love to. Just download all of the info into my datapad," she told him as she handed it to him. Yun took the pad with a wide smile, and began to quickly type the information in. "Oh, and do you think that you could find my brother a date?" she asked, motioning to Carth.

Yun glanced where she pointed, and looked resentfully back at her. "He doesn't look like he'd have trouble getting a date," he muttered as he gave the man a once over.

"He's a bit of a prude. Most of the girls that I know won't go out with him because of it," she leaned closer to Yun so that her lips brushed against his ear, "Not at all like me," she whispered.

Yun's throat went dry, and he swallowed. "I'm sure that I can manage to get him someone," he squeaked. "So, I'll se you later tonight?" he asked her with a smile, and went to kiss her, but Aminta put her hands against his chest and pushed him away.

"Save it for later," she whispered into his ear, and choked down a laugh when she saw that he was nearly drooling. She waved as he walked away and quickly headed back over to Carth, who had been casting her dark looks and nursing an ale.

"I see you didn't get lucky," he commented dryly, glancing at her empty hand.

"Actually, I did. I've got myself a date."

"A date?" Carth nearly roared. "We're on a mission and you get yourself a date?"

"You wouldn't be jealous, would you flyboy?" she baited him. Carth just shook his head in wonder.

"I could have you court marshaled for this," he informed her.

"Woa there, I wasn't going to leave you out of all of the fun. You've got a date for tonight too. Though don't expect her to be too beautiful, since I told that guy over there that you were a prude."

"You what?" Carth asked, working to keep his voice low.

"Well, I couldn't have you get dragged into the next room over, now could I? Anyway, just so you know, my name is Havine Granger, and you're my big brother."

Carth opened his mouth to say something, and then closed it again. "We came here to think, and you run off and find yourself a boyfriend! Gods help me!" he exclaimed, running a hand through his hair.

Aminta dropped the act, and sighed. "Don't worry, Carth. He's how we're going to get the uniforms." At his raised brow, she continued, "They're bringing their uniforms with them to the party, and they're drinking Tarisian ale. They'll be out within an hour," she clarified.

Carth shook his head. "You really had me going there for a while," he told her, and took a large swig of the ale, and felt his eyes began to burn.

Aminta quickly took the drink from him. "There is absolutely no way that you are going to get drunk on me. I need you sober," she told him.

Carth suddenly started to laugh, and Aminta wondered whether or not he was already intoxicated. "What?" she asked.

"You got a date with that guy? And you were seducing HIM?" he asked, laughing harder.

Aminta rolled her eyes. "Sure flyboy, have a nice laugh at my expense," she grumbled, poking him in the ribs.

Carth laughed harder. "And you were so convincing," he sobered quickly. "How on earth did you do that?"

"It is necessary to do such…things…in my line of work. You get used to putting on an act after a while."

"I don't think I would have been able to do that with a woman that ugly," Carth informed her, suddenly suspicious. What if everything that she said and did with him was only an act?

"Yeah, well I seriously considered swallowing my blaster the entire time. He reminded me of a sewer rat," she said and shuddered.

Carth shook his head, "So, what are we going to do until the party?"

—————————————-

"You know, when I asked what we should do, I meant something like grab a bite to eat, get a few drinks, play some pazaak; you know, fun stuff. I most certainly did not mean to head of to the nearest dueling ring and get yourself killed!" Carth whispered harshly over the roar of the crowds.

"Carth, don't worry so much! We need the credits, and besides, the rules of the ring are to injure, not to kill."

"Aminta Jae, you are the most damn infuriating woman that I have ever met!" Carth exclaimed, glaring daggers at her.

"You know, you're rather dashing when you're angry," Aminta grinned and then winked at her companion while equipping herself with weapons and grenades.

Carth stuttered, and then the announcer's voice rang through the stadium, announcing Dead eye Duncan and the Mysterious stranger. "Showtime. Oh, flyboy, you'd better hustle to the sidelines, you don't want the old guy to misfire and shoot you by accident," she told him with a wink.

As he walked off, Aminta was sure that she could hear a few more insulting words and oaths, but she shrugged them off with a smile. He was cute when he was irritated. She shook her head. _What is wrong with you? You haven't thought of a guy like that since Kael! I must just have a weakness for pilots_, she mused, thinking of her first love's occupation. He had been her pilot when she was a green country girl trying her hand at smuggling at nineteen, and though he had been a heartthrob, the eight-year-older man didn't win her heart until several years later.

Her thoughts were interrupted when her opponent through a grenade at her, which she simply ran from, and escaped unscathed. She then drew her blasters, and Duncan went down with the first shot.

She left the ring to the cheers of the crowd and gave Carth a smug smile. "Hmm, I don't seem to be missing any limbs, I don't have any blaster burns, and I'm not dead. You need to check, or do you trust me?" she grinned.

Carth glared at her. "I most certainly don't trust you, but I can trust my own eyes, and I can see that you're not hurt." He retorted.

"Wait a second, flyboy, why don't you clarify something for me. Why is it that you don't trust me?"

"You mean besides the obvious?" he asked in reference to her occupation as a smuggler and scoundrel.

"Yes!" Aminta exclaimed, all traces of her good humor vanished.

"Well you're a damn good actress. You fooled that scrawny sith, and how do I know you aren't fooling with my mind too?"

"Am I throwing myself at you? Have I lied to you? Do you have any reason not to trust me?"

"I jest think it's pretty convenient, that's all," he muttered.

"What is convenient?" she demanded, glaring daggers.

Carth glanced around him nervously. "This is not a conversation to be had here, Jae. Go collect your credits and enter the next round for all I care, but we will not have this discussion where people are liable to hear us," Carth's words were icy and his eyes as hard as steel.

Aminta's eyes widened, and she raised an eyebrow. "Fine, but this conversation is far from over, Onasi." Aminta's gaze was firm and unwavering, and Carth knew that she wasn't going to let this drop. "Oh, and thanks for your permission to enter the next round," she smirked, and hurried off to the Hutt running the duels to do as he had said.

Carth groaned. _What have I gotten myself into now?_

——————————————

Yeah… I have neglected my schoolwork to finish this… so…. yeah. Anyway, I hope you liked it. As I said, life is bloody awful. Please comment! I love you all!


	4. Chapter 4

Hey guys! Sorry it took so long to update. My computer completely and totally crashed, and the week I got it fixed, I had exams. Now that I can, I'm totally inspired to finish this. Oh, and sorry about the last chapter. I got really lazy, and copy and pasted from my old story. I had hoped that no one noticed... but oh well. I'll try to remedy it in this one by explaining her behavior. Also, to make it easier to visualize, Aminta would be an Asian/ Caucasian mix, but with blue eyes. (Those do factor into the story later on; it isn't just there as a gimmick BTW.) As always, I want to give a gimungus thank you to everyone who's been reading, and of course, a special thanks to Rainwood who takes the time to go through my work and critique me on it.

* * *

Four duels and 3500 credits later, Aminta and Carth arrived back at their hideout. "Well, flyboy, I think that those duels were productive, don't you?" she asked with a knowing smirk.

Carth grimaced. "You need a trip to the refresher. You smell bad and look worse," he muttered, sitting at the edge of his bed and pulling off his boots.

Aminta scowled. "What in the name of the seven hells is wrong with you?" she demanded, stalking over to where he sat and throwing his boots to the other side of the room.

"What do you think you're doing?" Carth exclaimed as he got up from the bed to retrieve his boots, but Aminta shoved him back down. Stupefied, Carth just stared up at her.

"I'm to figure out what is going on with you. You're an absolute gentleman for a few hours, and now you're acting like a… a…"

"Sexless Gammorean's pet toad?" he offered, drawing her back to the few moments when she'd dropped her guard earlier that morning and had begun flirting with him. Aminta winced inwardly. _That's the last time I ever flirt with this loser!_

"Don't change the subject," she snapped as she crossed her arms over her chest. "Out of nowhere, you tell me that you don't trust me and that something seems pretty convenient. I'm not moving from this spot until I get some answers!" Her voice was rising with every word, and she inwardly cursed himself. _Play it cool!_

"You know, you're quite lovely when you're angry," he informed her with his most charming smile. The way that her eyes narrowed into slits made him realize that the Onasi charm apparently didn't achieve its normal results on this girl.

"Will you just answer the damned question?" she shouted, losing all restraint. And once she lost her cool, there was no way in heaven or hell that it would be returned to her.

Carth ran a hand through his hair. "You are the most damned persistent woman that I have ever met!" Aminta smiled at that, and Carth wasn't sure that he liked her smile. It had a hard, sadistic edge to it.

"I've been called worse things," she told him, her voice gone eerily quiet. At the sound of the voice change, Carth realized that he would be in trouble if he didn't answer her question. He had a pretty good idea that the vibroblades that she strapped to her hips weren't just there for show. "Now answer me," she shifted her weight to her other foot but her glare remained unwavering.

"I went through your records," he explained, and Aminta stiffened.

"You did what?" she shouted, and Carth didn't know which he preferred, the shouting or the eerie quiet. "My life is my business, not yours!"

"What life? There was no life recounted in your records!" He shouted back at her, and he ignored the pang of regret he felt when he saw her wince. "Marital status: unknown, children: unknown, home planet: unknown," he ticked each item off on his fingers as he talked. "Add that to a knowledge of forty two languages, a smuggling record since the age of nineteen, a list the size of my arm of your numerous crimes, and a sizeable amount of bounties placed on your head that were all dropped at the same time. And that doesn't even begin to cover it!"

"My life, or lack thereof, is my business, and my business only!" she screamed back at him in a pitch that rivaled that of Carth's.

"Not when it puts a crew member in danger!"

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"Bastila specifically requested you, a civilian, to be transferred onto the Spire, and you are one of the only two people to make it out without a scratch!"

Aminta stopped speaking for a moment, simply staring at him until she could get her voice back. And when it came back, it came back with force. "Whoa, hold up a second! Gash in the head, wound in the back, remember? I wouldn't exactly call that making it out unscathed!" she reminded him, her tone still as loud as ever. Someone from the next apartment over shouted through the walls for them to shut up, but Aminta ignored them.

"But you're one of the only ones left alive." Carth's voice had lowered, and his eyes had narrowed. The stakes to this game were rising, and they both knew it. If she was a traitor, now was the best time to be done with it.

"Are you going somewhere with this Carth?" Aminta demanded, planting her hands on her hips and glaring at him with as much venom as she could muster.

"It's jut pretty convenient, that's all. So convenient that maybe you're a part of the sith; that you're only here to spy on me. Maybe you knew that guy in the cantina… maybe the party is just an excuse to report to your Sith buddies."

Aminta's jaw dropped, and she stared at him with wide eyes for several moments, an awkward silence replacing the heated argument of minutes before. Despite herself, memories swamped her. A corpse, burned and slashed beyond recognition rose to her minds eye, and she pushed the image as far into the recesses of her mind as she could. "You bastard," she whispered hoarsely as she turned and walked away.

Carth sat in stunned silence for a few seconds before he got up and shouted out the bedroom door, "Where do you think you're going?"

Aminta stopped dead in her tracks for a second before continuing. "I'm going to go take that shower. I smell bad, and look worse, remember?" muttered darkly. She didn't once look back.

Carth sank back down onto the bed and run his hand through his hair in frustration. "Well, that went well," he muttered to himself as he sighed and removed his jacket. Silence greeted him.

* * *

Aminta stepped into the refresher, and turned the sonic shower on as hot as she could make it without burning herself. She hoped that the heat would melt away the memories, but she knew better than that. Years of running from them had only served to teach her that she couldn't escape them for long. She dunked her head under the hot spray, but she still felt cold all over. Goosebumps appeared over the length of her body, and shivers wracked her slim frame.

_The officers dusty boots made soft thudding noises as he walked through the red stained soil; his uniform was covered in dirt, but his buttons still shone brightly in the afternoon sun. His nametag read Gatue, it was covered in water spots, and the corners were bent inwards. Funny how the small, seemingly insignificant things can catch your memory that way. _

_He cleared his throat every so often as though he would say something, but he would always silence himself when he glanced at the woman walking next to him, hugging herself self-consciously, blue eyes vacant, a curly mass of hair in disarray. She guessed that she looked like she had come through hell and back again, and that wasn't far from the truth. She was wearing a yellow shirt that day; she never wore yellow again._

_They entered the makeshift morgue in silence, and Aminta shivered as she walked through. Some of the bodies were recognizable, some looked humanoid, and others... All her years of hardening herself did nothing to prepare her for what those looked like. It was in front of one of the near unrecognizable corpses that the officer stopped._

_Aminta sucked in her breath as she looked down, her brown furrowed as she breathed through her mouth in an attempt to block out the stench. "How could I..." she began, but quickly broke off, gesturing to the bloody, mangled mass before her. She felt bile rise up her throat, and she began to rub her collarbone as she blinked slowly. _

_The officer cleared his throat, drawing her back to herself. "You said that he had a birthmark..."_

_"Yeah," Aminta managed, looking down at the mess of flesh before her, the corners of her mouth pulled taught. "A strawberry colored one," she lifted a hand to rub her forehead, "On the back of his right thigh," she choked out past the lump that had gathered in her throat. _

_The officer grimaced as he rolled what was left of the man over onto his stomach to reveal that his back hadn't underwent nearly as much damage as the front had. His back was riddled with gashes, but it was all too recognizable. Aminta looked up at the guard, her brows pinched tight together in an attempt not to cry as she examined his back. There was the birthmark, the scar he had gotten on their last run, the little mole on his left shoulder blade..._

Aminta drew her breath quickly, and crossed her arms over her chest, emptiness enveloping her. There was a gun in the holster that she had dropped on the floor when she had undressed. It would be so easy to end it all..._so easy_... Aminta gave herself a mental shake, wiping away the image of an end to her suffering and a picture of a comforting glass of ale as she did so. That year of therapy that Trask made her suffer through wasn't about to be put to waste... not when he had put so many hours into making her whole when he himself was shattered. What kind of testament would she be to her friend then?

Closing her eyes, she quickly turned off the water and stepped out of the shower, grabbing the towel that she had hastily thrown over the toilet seat. She dried herself roughly, hoping that the pit of pain that she would feel would be enough to distract her. It didn't. It never did.

* * *

Carth jumped up from the bed when Aminta walked into the room, and winced slightly when she didn't even glance his way. "Look, I'm sorry that I acted like such a jerk back there; I guess what I meant to say came out a bit...harsh."

Aminta gave no indication that she had heard him. Rather, she tossed her towel into a corner and sat down on her bed, pointedly ignoring the pilot.

Carth cleared his throat in response to the silence. "Okay...Anyway... I just want you to know that you shouldn't take it too personally. My therapist says that I'm a bit paranoid..." Aminta snorted, and Carth paused, waiting for her to speak. She said nothing, and instead began to plait her hair. _This is going to be a really hard mission if she refuses to talk to me_. "Well, not really my therapist. She's my sister, actually. But she calls herself my therapist," he explained, hoping that Aminta would say something. She paused for a moment while braiding her hair, but only to reach into the cosmetic bag that she had on her lap. Carth sighed, beginning to get frustrated. He was trying to apologize, for the gods' sakes! "I just...have trust issues, and, well, don't take it too personally." When Aminta refused to acknowledge him, he pounded his fist down on his bed. "Dammit woman! I'm fracking apologizing to you; can't you say something?" he demanded.

Aminta looked up at him then, the corners of her mouth twitching. "Dump your sister and get a real shrink. You seem to be having some anger management problems."

Carth gaped at her for a few minutes, stunned, before coming back to himself with a small chuckle. "I guess I deserved that, didn't I?" he asked, sheepishly rubbing the back of his neck.

"Yeah. You did."

"Sorry," he attempted to apologize again, glancing up at her.

She stared back at him in silence.

"What, are you giving me the silent treatment again?" Carth questioned as he knelt down to the floor and began to sort several piles of junk that he had plopped beside him over the past few days. He gave up after a few minutes, and turned to look at her again. She was staring down at her hands, as though her mind was a million miles away. Carth rubbed the back of his neck with his hand again. "I've apologized three times already. I'm beginning to think you're only doing this to annoy me."

Nothing was said for several moments, and then Aminta sighed softly. "I'm not trying to annoy you...I just... Look, anyone with a past has trust issues, me included. I need time, just like you do... And the fact that you just accused me of being a Sith doesn't exactly help matters any."

Carth shrugged his shoulders slightly. "I wasn't accusing you of being a sith; not really. I'm just trying to figure out who you are, and based on the information I have..."

"Show that I'm a nobody with a bad record," she supplied with a slight smirk. "Well, the information you have fits just right. I'm a loner; no family, no one that would miss me. My past is of little significance, and all I do is smuggle spices." She said it all with a light tone, as though the admission caused her no pain. As if she simply existed and no more. They both knew better.

"One of the many, _many_ laws that you broke was that you smuggled slaves away from abusive masters," he said slowly, closely watching her face to gauge her reaction. There was none. _She's probably an expert smuggler. Not even a Jedi could get anything out of her!_ Ignoring her feigned lack of interest, he continued. "There's more to you than you let on."

Aminta smiled ruefully and didn't bother to deny it. "Well, everyone has secrets. I'll tell you mine if you tell me yours. Tit for Tat," she prompted, pulling her knees to her chest.

Carth was silent. Aminta shook her head with a wry grin. "I didn't think so. If you aren't going to give me any information, you won't get any out of me either. Plain and simple."

"You guys done arguing yet? I've been standing outside waiting for the screaming to stop for like, ten minutes!"

Carth and Aminta's heads jerked up quickly, and Aminta let out a sigh of frustration to see Mayenna standing directly in front of them. "Shavit girl, you have awful timing!" Aminta exclaimed as she rolled her eyes and dragged herself off of her bed.

Mayenna's face scrunched up, and Aminta felt a pang of regret for hurting the girl's feelings, but it only lasted a moment. _Force, it's not like she has to cry about it!_

Carth glared at Aminta, and slung an arm over the twi'lek's shoulder. "Actually, you have impeccable timing. You interrupted us before we could try to kill each other again."

Aminta let out a groan, and Carth gave fixed her with a sharp, piercing stare that let her know she ought to be quiet. Aminta narrowed, and lifted her head just a fraction to let Carth know exactly who was in charge.

It was Mayenna who called them out of their brief, silent spat. "Well, we wouldn't want that, now would we?" she giggled, her good humor restored. Aminta clenched her fist at the sound, and Carth had to hold back a snort. Seemingly oblivious to the two adults, Mayenna giggled again, and Carth returned his attention to her.

"So, how'd your day go?" he asked as he led her over to the couch.

Mayenna plopped down rather ungracefully beside him and grinned. "Well, Zelka and me had lots of stuff to do today. You see, school starts soon for the kids, and they all need their vaccinations before they can enter a class. Anyway, there was this adorable little girl with the biggest brown eyes you've ever seen, and she was so funny! Oh, oh, and then there was a Rodian, and I don't typically fins Rodians to be cute but this one..."

Aminta flinched slightly, and blacked out the rest of the conversation and inched towards the door, hoping that neither Carth nor Mayenna would notice her slip out. Unfortunately, luck wasn't on her side, and Carth turned to look for her just as her hand was on the doorknob. "Where do you think you're going?" he demanded, suddenly oblivious to the girl sitting next to him. Mayenna stopped speaking mid-topic about something Aminta thought to be about a baby Gizka, and turned to stare at Aminta.

Aminta coughed as she wracked her brain to come up with an excuse. "There's a party tonight, remember? We can't be in our uniforms," she managed smoothly, as though that had been the reason she had been leaving in the first place. Carth fell for it, hook, line, and sinker. _That man is way too gullible. But then again, he is a man, so how much can I expect from him?_

"Where are you going to get the credits?" he asked with a little frown as she turned to walk out the door.

Aminta stopped for a second before turning around with a smile that Carth wasn't quite sure he liked. "I have my ways," she smirked, and left quickly, entirely too eager to be away from the stories of the school children that Mayenna had seen earlier that day.

* * *

Two hours later, Carth was seriously considering shooting himself with his blaster. "Are you almost done yet?" Carth Onasi groaned, glancing with frustration at his companion. Aminta Jae stood in front of a mirror, twining her mane of black hair about her head. She was dressed in the new clothing that she had bought, and Carth was too ticked to notice the way that the skirt clung to her curves... well, almost.

"For the thousandth time, NO!" Aminta responded without turning her gaze from the looking glass. Carth ran a hand over his face. _There must be only one Republic woman in the entire galaxy who would fuss over herself for a Sith party. Lucky me, I got stuck with her! Well, then again she doesn't act like a member of the republic..._ he thought. Aloud, he said, "Look, its only a Sith party. Who are you trying to impress? Yun, the sewer rat?"

Aminta rolled her eyes, refusing to allow herself to be annoyed as she turned to face him. "I've been in the business long enough to know that if you want something, you have to play the part."

"He's going to be drunk by the time we get there."

"Maybe," Aminta conceded as she turned back to the mirror, "But maybe he'll still be sober enough to realize exactly what I'm doing. I didn't think that you were a gambling man," she observed as she attempted a different hairstyle.

"Not usually," Carth replied slowly, attempting to understand where she was going with the conversation.

"You can be so dense," Aminta muttered under her breath before clarifying herself. "Do you want to gamble on that he'll be too drunk to understand what we're doing? Are you honestly willing to accept the risk that if he is sober enough, we'll face an entire room full of Sith?"

"I guess not...," he admitted somewhat sheepishly, and he rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment that he hadn't thought of that. Suddenly he grew serious and glanced back up at her. "Exactly what business were you in before? I mean, you can play people without thinking twice... what...?"

Aminta's hands stilled for a moment, and Carth could see the strain in her face through the mirror, but it only lasted a moment. "You willing to tell me anything about yourself yet, Carth?" she prompted instead as she went back to arranging her hair.

There was silence for a few moments, and Aminta watched his reflection to see his reaction. She wasn't entirely surprised when he stood up quickly and said, "I'm going to go take a shower."

Aminta merely nodded and focused her attention back onto the mirror. "Just remember, I'll talk when you do," she reminded him. Carth barely nodded before he left the room.

Once Carth was gone, Aminta let out a deep sigh and dropped her hands from her hair so that the curly mass cascaded down her back. She hadn't cut it since her iVigdasen/i, which was traditional among the upper classes of Deralia. Not that she had been a member of the upper class when her courses had come. However, the tradition was her only link to home besides the Deralian Krayt Dragon pearl locket that she wore beneath her clothing. Aminta's throat constricted, and she rested her forehead against the cool glass of the mirror as she attempted to regain her composure. Carth's probing questions dragged up more memories than Aminta would care to admit, and more than she ever wanted to remember. _The past is a strange thing, no matter how much you run away from it, somehow it always catches back up to you._

Aminta took a deep breath as she pulled her head away from the glass and stared back into the mirror in front of her, examining what she saw. Her skin was flawless in the way that only youth could bring, but she knew that within a few years, lines would begin to develop on her forehead, which had been creased to often in worry and pain. When she was alone, her blue eyes were old and weary, completely at odds with the rest of her otherwise youthful looking face, and she was nearly certain that crow's feet would never develop on the sides. After all, those came with laughter. She wouldn't have any laugh lines around her mouth either, she knew. The lips that had uttered so many lies and besotted so many men hadn't stretched into a wide enough smile since... Aminta couldn't remember when the last time she had truly let herself go was. Her past had always shadowed any of the good times that she had. It always came back to haunt her... and that's how she looked now... haunted. When she was with other people, she play-act. She could be sweet and shy or seductive, but mainly, she was hurtful and sarcastic. Anything was better than the weariness and pain that she felt within her when she was alone.

She let out a shaky breath as she closed her face off from emotion again. Sometimes she scared herself with how she could do that. At times, she would catch a glimpse of herself in a speeder or a shop window and see a woman that she didn't recognize in her reflection, and she would remember exactly how fake she was. How she fooled everyone, even herself.

Aminta quickly cut herself off from her thoughts. She had learned fairly early in life that thinking about herself was dangerous. Too dangerous. Too emotionally exhausted to do much more with herself, she quickly plaited her hair back, allowing a few curls to fall free and frame her face. When she looked back in the mirror, the weary woman was gone, and a young thing untouched by the bitterness that life has to offer stood in her place.

Aminta swallowed, and sat down on the couch, drawing her knees to her chest as she rested her head on her forearms as she struggled against the memories that tugged at the corners of her mind.

By the time that Carth re-entered in the room, all he saw was a young woman in a skirt and heels. Aminta didn't mind in the slightest.

Aminta paused directly outside the apartment that the Sith party was being hosted in, and turned to glance at Carth. "Look, whatever happens tonight, you have to let me do my thing, okay? No butting in or anything like that, got it?"

Carth's jaw dropped, and he eyed her warily. "What exactly is it that you're planning on doing tonight?" he asked he slowly, as though afraid of her answer.

Aminta shrugged her shoulders briefly. "Nothing that I haven't done before," she said flippantly, as she turned to enter the apartment. She paused and turned around. "Promise me that you won't interfere?"

Carth hesitated for only a second before nodding. "Promise," he replied looking her straight in the eyes. Aminta felt a smile tug at the corners of her mouth. He thought of her as an equal now, and it was a rather nice feeling.

Carth went to enter, but Aminta held up her hand, signaling for him to wait. "Don't drink anything, not the ale, not the caffa... none of it. It's probably all spiked," she warned him.

"So? Who cares if I get drunk?"

Aminta settled her gaze on him. "You will, because you'll wake up in the morning with a huge hangover in a room full of Sith. There's no way that I'm going to carry you home."

"But I carried you home," Carth countered.

Aminta sighed and closed her eyes as she counted to ten. "I don't care. You get drunk, you wake up with Sith. Plain and simple. Oh, and don't go and get yourself seduced," she informed him with a set jaw.

Carth's eyes widened, and he was rendered speechless for a few moments. "What?"

"Don't sleep with any of the women here. You have no idea what kind of diseases they might have," Aminta said clearly and slowly, as though she were talking to a small child.

"I wasn't going to. What on earth made you think that I...?"

"Carth, you're a man. I have very, very low expectations for you. Don't take it personally, but...Let's just say that I've known too many men to expect anything honorable out of them. Let's go in," she muttered as she encountered Carth's slack jawed stare.

"Look, I'm not that kind of guy," he attempted to assure her, but Aminta just shook her head.

"That's what they all said," she murmured with a slight shake of her head and opened the door with a bright smile before Carth could say anything else in his defense.

Yun stood by the sofa, and his face lit up when he saw her. "Hey, I didn't think you were going to make it," he said, his words slurring together while gesturing towards the clock. Aminta winced when she saw that she was forty-five minutes late.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, hon," she told him, a sly smile fixed on her face. "I hope you're not to upset with me," she said, placing a hand on his shoulder. Carth walked up behind her and cleared his throat. Aminta turned back to him with an angry stare that reminded him of his earlier promise, but he didn't back down.

"Come on Borf!" she exclaimed with a light giggle as she placed herself fully in Yun's arms. "It's not as if you haven't seen me with men before!" she exclaimed as her hand absently slid over the back of Yun's neck. _Now this is why I hate the sound of giggling!_

Carth's eyes darkened, and Aminta suddenly felt slightly ashamed of how naturally the game came to her. She ignored him and turned her attention back to Yun. "My brother's just a little over-protective," he informed the man with another light giggle. _I really hate this!_

Yun grinned at her before smirking at Carth. "Don't worry. You're sister's in safe hands," he told Carth as his hand was sliding down to Aminta's backside. The woman barely flinched, just gave off another high-pitched giggle and leaned farther into Yun. "So, you promised me you'd give him a date. We don't want him hanging over us all night long, do we?"

Yun's eyes darkened slightly at the prospect, and he turned towards a woman in the crowd. "That's Shiela over there," he said motioning to an attractive red head. "She should show you a fun time."

Aminta gave Carth a pointed glance to inform him that he most certainly wasn't allowed to have too much fun, and then followed Yun with a flirtatious giggle.

Carth's eyes met with the red head's, and he was immediately grateful to see that hers were glazed with drink. _She should be passed out within an hour,_ he thought, and quickly averted his gaze. He suddenly felt like hugging Aminta for telling Yun that he was a prude. It would easily explain how he avoided the girl's attentions. Not that Aminta would appreciate the hug, of course. She'd probably use the dagger she had strapped to her thigh on him if he tried to get that close to her. He glanced over to where Aminta and Yun had walked off to and found her sitting on the man's lap. _Or maybe not._

He pretended not to notice his date when the red head pressed herself against him. "I'm Shiela," she said in a low voice, that was intended to be seductive barely able to be heard over the music. However, the slurring of her words made her sound anything but.

Carth looked back to Aminta, where he winced when he saw how fully... engrossed she was with kissing Yun. _Hell, if she can fake it, so can I._ "Borf," he introduced himself, making a mental note to kill Aminta for saddling him with such a horrible name.

He tried to disengage himself from her grip, but she wouldn't let him go. "There's a couch free," she told him softly, peering up at him from make-up encrusted eyes. Carth swallowed a wave of repulsion.

"No thanks," he told her quickly, searching his mind for something to say to bring her attention elsewhere. "How about a drink?" he asked, glancing towards the table covered with Tarisian ale.

"Only if you're the one to serve me," she told him with a lopsided grin. _Wow, that's a line that I'll never use,_ he thought, but went to the table, attempting to ignore the woman following a bit too closely. He quickly poured her a rather large cup of the ale, hoping that she would pass out after it was finished.

"Aren't you having any?" she pouted as she sipped the drink that he had given her.

Carth wracked his brain for a reasonable explanation of why he couldn't drink the stuff. "Nah, I don't drink this stuff. I prefer the flavored drinks," he told her, hoping that his explanation was somewhat believable.

In her drunken haze, Sheila didn't suspect anything. "Maybe you could take me out some time, and we could buy your stuff," she told him, pressing close. _Gods, this girl is relentless! _Carth thought, quickly stepping away from her so that she stumbled and nearly fell.

Shiela glanced up at him angrily. "Your sister was right. You're no fun and a prude!" she huffed before stomping off to find someone more willing and drunk. Carth breathed a sigh of relief when she was gone, and quickly hurried to sit in an unoccupied corner of the room before anyone else came with an offer. _And here Aminta thought that I wouldn't be able to say no. So much for the theory that men are pigs._

Carth quickly surveyed the room, and was disgusted by what he saw. Everyone was drunk, swaying on their feet, and leaning onto each other for support. Most couples took their pleasure in full view, though some were off in darkened corners. Already, a great majority of the room was passed out. _They're going to have one hell of a hangover,_ Carth thought ruefully. _Serves them right._

He quickly searched the room for Aminta again, and found her by the drink table, much of her hair haven fallen out of her braid, and most of her lipstick smeared all over Yun's face. She poured Yun a large cup of the most potent Tarisian ale, which he drank in one quick gulp. He fell over, and Aminta caught him against her chest, laughing. She looks drunk he thought. Yun somehow managed to pour her a glass, which Aminta downed just as quickly as Yun had, although she didn't show any signs of being drunk. Aminta stood on tiptoe and whispered something into Yun's ear, and then headed in the direction of the refresher. Carth worried for a moment that the scrawny man would follow, but was relieved when Yun sank down on an unoccupied couch instead.

By the time that Aminta had emerged from the refresher, Yun had passed out and Aminta breathed out a sigh of relief. In an unguarded moment, Carth caught a glimpse of who she really was as she glanced down at the man before she hardened herself and met Carth's eyes, a surprising feat in the dim lighting.

When Aminta arrived, she was slightly surprised to see that Carth was alone and sober, but she covered it with a smirk. "So, I see you didn't get lucky tonight," she said as she sank down onto the floor next to him.

"Hello to you too," Carth replied, noting that her hair had been replated, her clothing straightened, and her make-up fixed.

They were silent for several moments, surveying the scene around them. "How long do you think it'll be 'til they're out?" Carth asked Aminta.

She sighed, and wearily ran a hand over her now- fixed hair. "I'd give it twenty, thirty minutes tops," she replied with a slight shrug as she leaned back against the wall.

"Gross, isn't it?" Carth asked, looking out at the carnage before them.

Aminta shrugged slightly as she looked around her. "You get used to it," she replied simply, averting her gaze from the scene playing out before them.

Carth merely stared at her for a few seconds. "This doesn't disturb you?" he asked with a wince as watched a couple walk off together.

Aminta followed his gaze, and heaved out a sigh. "Yeah, it does. I just don't let it show," she replied with a shrug. "You should have seen what was going on in the refresher. If not for my training, there was no way that I would have been able to use the restroom with so many people around. Now that was definitely a place that I couldn't really hide my disgust."

Carth winced at the mental picture that she drew for him before frowned and turned to look at her. "Exactly what kind of training did you have?" he asked, watching Aminta closely in order to see her reaction to his question.

Aminta's face and body language remained carefully neutral. "No information out of me about my past until I get some out of you, remember flyboy?" she replied, a bit more harshly than she had intended. Not that she minded being harsh to him... it just showed that the topic was more sensitive than she wanted it to appear.

Carth was quiet for a few more minutes before he looked back up at Aminta. "How did you do it?" he asked with a pointed glance towards Yun, and the look in his eyes chilled Aminta to the bone. He knew that she was hiding something, but she'd be damned if she ever let him know what it was.

"I've told you before. I learned how to pretend while I was a smuggler. It was necessary to do so, else I would have been arrested by the exchange in my first year alone."

Carth considered what she said for a moment. "What do you mean…alone?" he asked. "Don't smugglers usually run solo?"

Aminta shrugged and looked down at her lap. "Sometimes they have partners," she told him simply, "I lost mine, and had to learn to fend for myself," she clarified, hoping he wouldn't ask any more questions.

"I wouldn't have been able to," Carth said.

"Of course you could! You've been able to pilot a ship without a co-pilot before, right?" she asked, attempting to show him the comparison.

Carth chuckled and shook his head. "No, I meant I couldn't have done what you did with Yun."

"You learn how to deal with things after a while. Your head shuts off, and your body does all of the talking," she told him with an indifferent shrug. "But, I hope you don't mind if I use the refresher first. I think I'm going to need a nice, long shower to get this past hour out of my head. "

"Did you…" Carth began, but stopped himself quickly.

"Hm?" Aminta asked, glancing at him.

Carth squirmed, uncomfortable. "Did you and Yun, um..." he asked, unable to finish the sentence.

Aminta shook her head. "No, I didn't have sex with him."

Carth winced at how she could say things like that so openly. She could at least be somewhat discreet. _Smuggler remember? Her kind aren't exactly noted for upstanding behavior._ They were quiet for a few more minutes before Carth broke the silence again. "Have you ever...slept... with someone just because you needed to for a mission?" Carth asked, unable to help himself.

Aminta met his eyes. "Yes," she told him simply, not bothering to look away. But her voice had that empty, emotionless quality to it again that made Carth realize just how much she hated to do it.

Carth flushed slightly and looked away for a moment, before turning back to her. "I don't think any less of you," he said softly, and Aminta jumped.

She swallowed hard against the lump that was growing in her throat. _He doesn't even realize how much that means to me. Damn him, he's starting to get under my skin!_ But somehow, she couldn't bring herself to be angry with him for it. She was strangely glad that someone understood her; it made her feel less lonely. "Thanks," she managed softly, and Carth smiled at her gently before looking away again.

Twenty minutes later, everyone in the room was passed out. There were people on chairs, hanging off of the arms of couches, on top of tables, and many more were sprawled out on the floor. The pair still awake picked their way among the many bodies, Aminta stopping every so often to take supplies and a handful of credits. Carth was loath to allow her to steal, but they needed the stuff, so he said nothing.

Aminta glanced at everyone. "I think that most of the guys here are smaller than you," she said in reference to his height and muscular build. Carth shrugged, and began looking for some armor that would mostly fit. Aminta found a suit quickly enough, although there hadn't been many short women at the party. It took Carth a bit longer, but he managed to find one as well.

"Let's go," Aminta said once they both had the armor stuffed in the bag that Aminta carried with her.

Carth only nodded in agreement, and the pair quickly put as much distance between them and the apartment as they could.

* * *

Carth sat beside Aminta on her bed as he gently began to brush out her wet hair. She had protested at first, called him a few choice names, and threatened to slash his eyes out with her vibroblade before she finally relented and allowed him to touch her hair. It was a frightening task to be sure, for her hair was riddled with tangles, but somehow, the rythmatic motion comforted both of them.

Aminta sighed softly once the tangles had been brushed out, and the comb running through her sopping hair had ceased to cause pain. Carth's hands weren't so bad either, she had to admit. The last time she had been touched with any form of tenderness had been years before. Not even Trask would get this close to her. Carth's voice drew her out of her reverie, and she for a moment, she couldn't understand what he had said. "What?" she asked as she turned slightly to look at him.

Carth's hands didn't miss a beat as he continued to rythmatically brush out her hair. "Telos," he repeated, his voice broken and barely above a whisper.

Aminta's lips formed the syllable 'oh,' but she couldn't bring herself to say anything for a few minutes. His pain and anguish could be summed up with one word, a word that had caused shockwaves to reverberate around the galaxy. His home, and most likely his family had been destroyed with one quick blow. _Just like my dreams_. He had shared something about himself with her, he had _trusted_ her, and Aminta knew that he was now waiting for her to fulfill her side of the bargain.

Aminta swallowed hard, and let out a pent up breath. _If only all of my problems could be summed up in so few words…Dammit! I told him if he'd give me information about himself, I'd do the same. I never actually thought he'd go through with it… but a bargain is a bargain. I'm not about to back out now. _"Deralia," she whispered, and the emptiness of her voice let Carth know that that one word contained so much more information that just her home world. It echoed with loss and pain and unrequited love, of betrayal and separation, and so much more. But of course, Carth couldn't put a name to the emotions that he was certain were floating through her mind.

He gently put the brush aside, and was surprised that Aminta didn't respond at all. It was then that he realized exactly how much pain was associated with her home world. Since he knew that words wouldn't comfort her, he gently wrapped his arms around her too-still body. And surprisingly, she let him.

* * *

I'm sorry about how angsty this chapter turned out, but I wanted to give you guys a clue to how Aminta is on the inside, since I generally just write about the front that she puts up. For those of you who read this before, I changed a bit of her family history and tweaked her past, so... you'll still be surprised when all is revealed.

Thanks so much for reading, and please, please, please review!


	5. Chapter 5

_Disclaimer:_ You know, I really do hate these things.

Please leave a comment. Just press the lovely, shiny blue button at the bottom of the screen. You know you want to!

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The sunlight streaming through the un-shuttered windows woke Aminta early the following morning, and aggravated her already blooming headache. She groaned, and buried her head in her pillow as she felt a wave of nausea overwhelm her. _I knew I shouldn't have had so much ale last night!_ Her entire body ached, and she was certain that even her supposedly dead hair was throbbing. Moaning louder, she threw the blankets over her head and curled into a tight ball, attempting to ride the waves of dizziness and pain.

Since changing positions had failed to work, Aminta simply groaned louder and went to punch her pillow in frustration, which only served to intensify her dizziness. But instead of her fist hitting something soft, it slammed into a relatively hard surface, causing a noise that made Aminta's head swim. A low groan came from the spot where she had punched, and belatedly, she realized that she wasn't the only one in her bed, and she bolted upright. _I didn't think I was that drunk!_ She wracked her fuzzy brain to remember exactly what she had done the previous night, but the hangover kept her from thinking too hard. It simply hurt her head too much.

"Aminta?" the person beside her groaned, and Aminta felt herself stiffen involuntarily. _Of course, If I was drunk enough to sleep with someone, I would be drunk enough to give out my real name._

Aminta lay back in bed and covered herself with the covers again. She felt the man begin to tug at the covers, and she weakly attempted to keep her grip on them, but she found she was unable to. She squeezed her eyes shut as the light streamed over her again, and let out a moan. "Make yourself useful and shut the blinds, will you?" she snapped as she covered her face with her hands.

A low chuckle came from the man, and she sunk deeper into the bed. "Go away!" she attempted to yell, but the attempt only added fuel to her raging headache, so it came out as a whimper.

The man brushed her hair out of her face with a rough, calloused hand. "You get yourself a hangover, Beautiful?" he softly, and now that his voice was no longer so thick with sleep Aminta was able to recognize who he was.

"Carth?" she managed, cracking an eye open. When she saw that he was practically laughing at her, she grabbed the pillow beside her and swung it at his head with surprising force. "Don't you dare mock me," she muttered as she curled up into a ball again.

Carth grinned and shook his head. "I wouldn't dare to try," he replied, smothering another chuckle as he went to the window and did as she asked him to. Once the offending light and been deflected, Aminta re-emerged from the bed.

"Thanks," she muttered grudgingly as she clumsily swung her legs off the side of the bed, and then paused to press a hand to her swimming head. "Damn!" she exclaimed as she sank back down and closed her eyes again. When she opened them a few seconds later, Carth was strangely missing. "Carth?" she called, wincing at the sound of her voice. When he didn't answer, she tried his name again, but there was still no reply.

"Damn you Onasi! How in the seven hells could you leave me when I'm like this?" she demanded rather loudly, ignoring the pain that yelling wreaked on her head.

Carth came back in the room sporting a large grin, a glass of water in one hand and a bottle of pills in the other. "You beckoned?"

Aminta scowled at him as she accepted the glass from his hand. "Bastard," she muttered as she grabbed some pills and gulped them down.

Carth shook his head with another laugh. "My, my. What a foul mouth you have this morning."

Aminta glowered at him. "If you mock me, I swear several vital parts of your anatomy will be missing by noon time."

Carth just shook his head, and pointed to the water. "Drink," he replied with a smirk as he turned and grabbed his clothes off of his bunk. Aminta frowned slightly at the sight of his trousers in his hand, and then turned her eyes to him, starting with surprise when she realized that he was only in Republic standard issue undergarments.

"Um, Carth?" she managed, suddenly feeling somewhat awkward. With most other men, she would have been able to move on and forget that anything had happened, but this was…well… Carth. He was a comrade, and nothing good ever came out of sleeping with a comrade.

Carth turned around slightly, a tad startled at the change of her tone. "Yeah?"

"We didn't, um… do anything last night, did we?" She managed, playing with the blankets as she spoke.

Amused and slightly touched at her sudden uncertainty, Carth smiled softly. "Physically? No. But you did mention something about Deralia," he told her gently, and winced slightly when she jumped.

"What did you tell me about yourself?" Aminta asked after several minutes of uncomfortable silence, relieved that the pills were working and that her head was functioning properly.

"Telos," Carth murmured, and Aminta swallowed. _Telos._ So much more went into that word than even he could understand… but if he was a Telonisian, maybe he could.

Aminta nodded brusquely and stood, now only slightly touched by dizziness. _I'll have to ask Carth what the name of those pills are, they work faster than anything I've ever taken_. "After you're done in there, we need to go down to the Lower City."

She issued commands as though she was and Admiral. Carth grinned at the analogy, and offered her a mock salute. "Yes Ma'am."

—————————————

Three hours later, Aminta and Carth were in Sith armor, their now dry Tarisian clothes in Aminta's bag that she slung over her arm. "These are really uncomfortable," Carth complained as the pair headed to the elevator.

"Oh, stop being such a baby!" Aminta reprimanded him as they turned down another hallway.

"I'm not being a baby. If I was being a baby, I'd be whining."

"I'm the one with a hangover, remember? You don't see me complaining!"

"You wouldn't have had a hangover if you would have taken your own advice and not drunk the ale."

"I happen to be able to handle my alcohol very well, thank you. I don't slur my words, or trip, or mumble, or anything. I wasn't putting us in any danger."

"Yeah, but you delayed our leaving the apartment by at least an hour."

Aminta took a deep breath and yanked her helmet on. "Hey, flyboy, unless you want to be recognized by tin can over there, you might want to put yours on too," she muttered as she pointed at the obscene shining object that Carth held.

"Whatever, your majesty." Carth muttered as he obeyed her. Somehow, he got the feeling that he was no longer in control of the situation.

Aminta stopped suddenly, and whirled around to face him. "What did you just say?" she demanded, placing her hands on her hips.

"Nothing," Carth muttered again as he hastened towards the elevator. The woman went through so many mood swings, Carth almost expected her to be in her ninth month of pregnancy. _Maybe I should get her some chocolate. That always seems to even out their temper._

As they got closer to the elevator, the pair fell into silence. The guard didn't spare them a second glance as they approached. "You the new patrols?" he asked as he pressed the buttons to activate the elevator. At Aminta's nod, he spoke again, without looking at them. "Good luck down there. Those gangs are pretty rough. Why, they even shoot at us!" he exclaimed as though he was surprised. The elevator doors flew open.

"Imagine that!" Aminta exclaimed in mock surprise as she stepped into the elevator, pulling Carth in after her. Carth coughed, and them sighed in relief when he noticed that the jibe had gone over the Sith's head. Of course, by that time the doors had slid closed, and there was little that the Sith could do even if he had understood.

Carth glanced over at his companion once the elevator began its descent. "So, how long do you think it's going to take us?" he asked her, ignoring the glare she was casting at him.

"Hopefully long enough to get our clothes on," she replied with a roll of her eyes as she thrust his outfit at him. "If I catch you looking, I swear you'll have a vibroblade in your gut!" she warned him as she pulled her own outfit out of her bag.

Carth grinned. "And what do I get to do if I catch you looking?" he teased her. Aminta didn't rise to the bait.

"You really don't have to worry about that," she informed him staunchly as she turned around. Once she was sure that he was otherwise occupied, she quickly changed, stuffing the Sith uniform into the bag that she carried. When she turned to take Carth's uniform from him, she found his eyes glued on her.

"You were looking," she muttered as she grabbed his uniform and stuffed it in her bag. Carth's gaze didn't waver from her, and she turned back to him with her hands on her hips. "What is your problem?" she demanded, attempting to keep her voice down. However, it was an uphill battle, and she was losing.

"How long has it been since you ate something?" he asked, his voice soft but also as hard as durasteel.

Aminta rolled her eyes and turned away from him again. "You're not my father, Onasi," she muttered as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"I could count your ribs, Ami. That's not healthy."

Aminta froze suddenly, and whirled around to face him. "What did you just call me?" she demanded, her eyes on fire.

Carth took a step back from her, suddenly nervous when he saw her hand clasped over the hilt of her vibroblade. "It was just a nickname… I'm sorry. I didn't know it would make you so…"

Her anger spent, Aminta held up a hand to silence him. "No. It's okay. It's just… someone that I once knew called me that." She grew silent for a moment before glancing back up at him. "But that's ancient history. You can call me Ami if you want," she murmured as she sat down on the floor, drawing her knees to her chest.

Carth watched her for a second before kneeling before her and brushing the hair out of her eyes. Aminta stiffened and jerked away from him at his touch, and he withdrew his hand. "I didn't mean to look at you; it was an accident. But then I saw how…very thin…"

Aminta let out a sardonic laugh. "Wow, Carth. You sure know how to make a girl feel special."

Carth grinned and shook his head. "Well, I could make you feel very special, if you wanted me to…"

"Can it, flyboy."

Carth shook his head and grinned as he stood. "Come on, Beautiful. We're nearly to the bottom." He extended his hand, but Aminta slapped it away.

"I am perfectly capable of standing on my own, thank you very much."

"I know exactly how capable you are," Carth replied as his grin widened.

"I'm going to choose to take that as a compliment."

The elevator doors finally opened, and the pair stepped into blaster fire. "Great, just what we needed," Carth muttered under his breath.

"Apparently the gangs down here get along even worse than we do," Aminta remarked dryly as she drew her vibroblades.

"I thought that we got along pretty well," Carth replied with a smirk as he drew his blasters. Aminta merely shook her head and ran into the fray.

Before the Endar Spire, Aminta had rarely fought to the death. However, after only two confrontations, killing felt as natural as breathing. It was unnerving at best. She didn't allow herself to dwell on it as she became locked in combat with a Rodian, barely flinching when the blood spurting from an artery gushed over her.

Carth himself was busy picking off the thugs that rushed with their blades drawn at Aminta, moving onto another the moment he wounded one. The woman was pretty good at handling combat situations, Carth had to admit. The way she fought also told him a lot about her - she wanted to be in the thick of things, and could handle herself well even when she began to get overwhelmed.

In fact, their fighting styles complimented each other quite well. His cautious, standoffish approach combined with her aggressive one resulted in a lethal combination. They made a pretty good team.

Once the last alien had fallen, Carth holstered his blasters, and looked over to see Aminta hunched over. "Ami? Are you okay?" he asked as he gripped her shoulders.

Aminta dug through her bag, and grabbed a med pack with shaking fingers. "Here, let me do that for you," Carth offered, but Aminta ignored him, and quickly injected herself with the Kolto. She relaxed as the cool, numbing sensation ran the length of her body, and then gingerly touched her side, where she had been hit.

Once she made certain she was no longer bleeding, she glanced up at the hovering Carth with a grin. "I'm fine. Now, want to find Bastila?"

Carth let out the breath he had been holding and returned her grin. "Let me guess. The cantina?"

Aminta just smiled.

—————————————————-

Carth glanced around the lower city cantina nervously, shifting uncomfortably in the worn booth. Aminta smiled at his discomfort, and then turned to their waitress. "Just a mug of caffa please," she ordered, and then turned to Carth. He shook his head, and waved the waitress off.

"You really don't like it down here do you?" she asked him after the woman had left, the corners of her lips quirking upwards.

Carth shrugged, looking around at his surroundings. "I can't believe you'd need to ask."

Aminta glanced around her. The cantina was dimly lit, and the scent of an unwashed multitude hung in the air. The music pounded in one corner, but the speakers on their side were in need of repair, and let out crackling sounds instead. Half of the barstools were broken, and there was the occasional drunkard getting sick on themselves and others. The scantily clad dancing twi'leks were sweaty, and their body odor was added to the pungent aroma. "I've been in worse," Aminta said simply.

Carth stared at her. "Well, I certainly haven't, not in a place where…" he trailed off, gesturing to a couple in a booth nearby, "anyone did that in public," he finished, his face screwing in distaste.

Aminta laughed. "Onasi, you were in a place like that just last night!" she exclaimed.

Carth shook his head. "That was different. It was at a party where most everyone knew each other. This…" he trailed off, gesturing to the commotion of the cantina by moving his arm in a wide arc, "is just a little different, don't you think?"

The waitress arrived with Aminta's caffa. "Thank you," she told the woman as she accepted the hot mug. The she turned back to Carth. "Yes, I'd agree it is a bit different, but the principle is the same."

Carth shrugged. "Maybe," he said, but his mind had already moved elsewhere. "Do you drink often?" he asked, looking towards her mug of caffa.

"The caffa's not spiked Carth. One hangover is more than enough," she said with a smirk as she took a sip of the hot liquid. It was watery, but she'd had worse. At least it was steaming. "You drink often though." It was a statement, not a question.

"Not often enough to get drunk," he replied. At her look, he shrugged sheepishly. "Well, maybe I should rephrase that. I drink enough to get drunk while I'm in my apartment, but when I'm anywhere else, I don't."

"You're the kind of guy that goes to work before the sun rises, comes home way past dark, and drinks himself into oblivion, aren't you?" Again, it wasn't a question.

Carth was surprised. He barely knew the woman, and she had him pegged. "I know a very good hangover remedy," was all he said, but it was enough.

"I'll need to get the recipe from you," Aminta replied with a slight smile. "Maybe after all of this is over, I'll come to your apartment and we'll be drinking buddies together."

"I knew you drank," Carth replied with a smirk.

Aminta grinned and shook her head. "Trask made me take a class to get out of it. I usually don't drink because I don't want to get addicted to it again."

Carth's eyes widened. "You were a hard core alcoholic?"

"For about a month. It was a good way to forget."

"That it is," Carth replied with a grin. _So, we're not that different after all._

Aminta nodded absently, and then her gaze shifted to a young twi'lek girl who looked to be about to get pounced by members of a gang. "Kids these days," she groaned as she turned back to Carth. "All they know how to do is get themselves in trouble."

"Wha…" Carth turned to where Aminta had been looking, and quickly drew his blasters from his holsters, ready to stand in and protect the girl. Just then, a Wookie stepped forward to defend the teenager. Carth smiled and sat down. "It would seem that she has a protector," he chuckled.

Aminta rolled her eyes. "Don't they all?" she muttered a bit resentfully as she took another sip of her caffa.

Carth raised a brow. "What is that supposed to mean?"

Aminta glanced up at him before returning her eyes to her drink. "Nothing."

"What? Nobody protected you when you were a child?"

Aminta raised her gaze up to Carth's again slowly. "No." Her voice was toneless, as it was when she was upset about something, and Carth bit his lip.

"I'm sorry… I didn't mean…"

Aminta held up a hand to block his flow of words. "It's okay. That was a long time ago; I've gotten over it. So, did you have a protector when you were a kid?"

Carth was surprised by her nonchalance and easy shift of subject, but he wasn't stupid enough to believe her. However, he let the subject dropped and gave her a slight grin. "My older sister."

"Are we talking about the same sister who pretends she's your shrink?"

"That's the one."

Surprised, Aminta laughed at him. "Older by how many years?"

"Two," Carth admitted somewhat sheepishly.

Aminta laughed again. "Your protector and your psychiatrist. That must have done a number on your manly pride."

Carth flushed slightly, but grinned at her. "Yeah, well, we all are tormented by siblings in our childhoods. I'm just like everyone else in this galaxy."

Aminta shrugged, and looked back down into her caffa. By her posture, Carth was sure he had said something to waken old memories. _So, her childhood is off limits._ He tucked that nugget of information away with the others that he had observed, hoping that he would one day be able to make sense of the picture that was forming in his head.

When Aminta didn't lift her head, Carth decided to give her some measure of privacy, so he stopped studying her, and turned instead to watch the twi'lek girl and her companion. The teenager was laughing, the Wookie growling. Of course, Wookies growled all of the time, and Carth couldn't really decipher any meaning from the sounds that they made, but this particular growl sounded annoyed. Carth smiled as he watched the girl lean over and steal a piece of food from the Wookie's plate. The creature roared in indignation, but didn't harm the twi'lek. That alone let Carth know the depth of their relationship. Unless you were very, very close to a Wookie, stealing a bite of his food was like signing your own death sentence.

Aminta followed Carth's gaze, and smiled softly at the teenager. "I wish I had that," she sighed softly, glancing at the girl. Her eyes widened and her hand flew to her mouth the moment after she had uttered the words, hating herself. _Great, give him another reason to pry, why don't you?_

And, true to character, Carth's didn't miss a beat. "You wish you had what?"

Aminta coughed, and pointedly turned her head away from him. "You know, I think I want a drink after all. Corellian fire whiskey sounds pretty good. You want a glass?" she attempted to divert him from his question, but she knew he wouldn't take the bait. When the man got his mind set on something, he was as impossible as…well… she was.

Carth glanced back to where she had been looking, and turned back to her with a look of surprise on his face. "You want kids?" he asked incredulously. She didn't seem to be the type that swooned over dimples and curls.

Aminta felt her throat constrict at Carth's tone and she crossed her arms over her chest. "What? Is that so hard to believe? Just because I'm sarcastic doesn't mean I don't want everything that normal women want?"

"No… It's just… You seem so independent. I can't imagine you being attached to someone for the rest of your life. Plus the fact that you're a smuggler means your willing to take risks that mothers don't generally take…"

"And you're a soldier, and you are under constant risk too. Are you going to tell me that makes you an unfit parent?"

Carth's gaze dropped to his hands, and he let out a shaky breath. "Maybe," he managed past the lump that was quickly growing in his throat. "Probably," he said as he met her eyes again.

Aminta read something in them that she didn't want to see, so she turned away from him. This conversation was going nowhere fast, and if by some miracle it began to go somewhere, she had a feeling that the end of it would devastate both of them.

Carth was also all too willing to let the subject drop, but figured he should say something to mend the rift that had started between them. He would be working with her for a while, after all, and the last thing he needed was to dislike his partner. "Maybe we'd both be unfit parents. I know I would be. But maybe there's a side to you that I haven't met yet. Maybe you'd make a better mother than I'd make a father."

Aminta didn't say anything, but the tension that hung thick in the air between them began to dissipate. Carth smiled softly, as Aminta glanced back down into her caffa and whispered, "Maybe."

Just as quickly, the moment was broken as the now familiar clanking of armor made its way into the cantina. Aminta's head snapped around so fast she was sure she'd develop a case of whiplash, and her eyes narrowed when she saw a Sith making his way to the bar.

"What is he doing here?" Carth whispered, casting the man a curious glance. "Isn't it comparable to suicide for a Sith to enter a Lower City Cantina?"

Aminta frowned slightly as her gut warned her of danger. She had long ago learned that her gut tended to be right, so she watched the Sith as warily as she could without seeming conspicuous.

The pair stared in tense, suspicious silence as the sith approached the bartender, a small bag in hand. They stared open mouthed as he dumped the contents of the bag onto the table in front of the alien. "What do you think he's giving him all of those credits for?" Carth asked.

Aminta put up a hand to silence him. He tried to say something again, but she shot him a death glare. "I'm listening." she told him harshly, before turning her attention back to the Sith.

Carth stared at her. He had been told on several occasions, and by several different physicians, that he had the body and senses of a man a decade younger than himself. He frowned in concentration, straining to hear the conversation that Aminta was able to make out from such a great distance away. He could hear nothing. He glanced over at the girl to see her eyes narrow in annoyance. "They're looking for you."

"What?" Carth demanded.

"Not just you, I guess. They're giving out the descriptions of all of the republic officers aboard the spire." She stopped to listen again, and winced. "Apparently, they've tracked all of them down but two- you and Bastila."

"The bartender wouldn't give us up to them. He has to hate the sith as much as we do."

"That pile of credits looks pretty convincing, and the punishment for hiding the whereabouts of a republic officer is harsh. They don't sentence you to death, but with what they _do_ do to you, death sounds like an answer to a prayer."

Despite himself, Carth shuddered. "We have to leave," he said, and started to rise from the booth.

Aminta grabbed his arm, and quickly pulled him back down. "No! If we leave, we'll only draw attention to ourselves!" she exclaimed.

"Great! Then what in the galaxy do you suppose that we should do?" he demanded, anger and fear intertwined in his voice.

"We act as inconspicuous as possible."

"And how do you propose that we…" he was cut off when the woman next to him covered his mouth with a kiss. Carth lost all of his senses for a moment until he realized that he was lying down, and she was on top of him. He quickly pulled his mouth away from hers. "You call this being inconspicuous?" he demanded harshly.

Aminta grinned. "You were the one who pointed out the couples in the booths nearby. We'll fit right in," she said before lowering her mouth to his again.

Carth stiffened, and quickly pulled away from her. "What makes you think that I…" he began, but Aminta's mouth was on his again. She released him after a few seconds, and laid her head on his chest.

"Tell me what's going on," she murmured close to his ear.

"I think that I'm the one that needs to know what is going on here!"

"No, you idiot! Look over my shoulder, and tell me what the Sith is doing!"

"Oh, right," Carth said sheepishly, before doing as she told him. The bartender was motioning towards them, while pocketing the credits that the sith had offered him for information. "He's going to be heading over here any second now," he said, turning his attention back towards Aminta.

"Great," she muttered and Carth wasn't sure whether or not he needed to be offended from her comment. "Just, act like you're enjoying yourself," she whispered harshly, before lowering her mouth to his again.

Carth knew the stakes if he didn't play along, so he wrapped his arms tightly around her and kissed her back. Suddenly, he was all too aware that he was enjoying himself far too much. It had been a long time since a woman had been lying on top of him, and her touch felt like fire. He let out a harsh breath, and went to pull away again, but her hands were framing his face, preventing him from escape. _She told me to act like I was enjoying myself. What's the harm in having a little fun?_ he thought, before untucking her tunic from her pants and running his hands up along her bare back.

When she didn't protest, he moved his hands higher, up underneath her bra strap. Aminta hit him hard in the shoulder, otherwise staying completely in character. "I can only take so much, Onasi!" she muttered. Carth grinned into the kiss. He _was_ enjoying himself.

Aminta pulled away just long enough to ask, "Where is he?"

Carth pushed himself up enough so that he could see, but not enough for it to look like he was doing anything other than shifting to a more comfortable position. "He's watching us," he whispered softly.

Aminta groaned, and Carth suppressed a laugh. He occupied himself with kissing her neck and jaw line instead. "You can at least act like you're enjoying yourself," he murmured, subtly mocking her.

"Remember what I told you would happen if you mocked me again? You're just lucky that if I severed you from your co-pilots Sith boy would definitely realize that this is all an act."

Carth grinned. "Well, I guess I should thank him, shouldn't I?" he murmured into her ear as he dug his fingers into her hair, casing pins to fly everywhere.

"I'm going to murder you," Aminta seethed, and she dug her nails painfully into his shoulder.

"Not while Sith boy's watching."

"Speaking of the tin can, where is he?" Aminta asked harshly as she suppressed a whimper from where Carth's lips had found a sensitive spot on her neck.

Carth looked again, just in time to see the doors of the Cantina close behind the Sith. "He's gone," he said, a trace of regret in his voice.

Aminta sat up quickly, and backed as far away from Carth as she could. "Men are such pigs," she muttered angrily, wiping her mouth. Carth noticed with some amusement that she was breathing as harshly as he was.

"You seemed to be enjoying yourself too, you know."

"Shut up!" Aminta exclaimed somewhat guiltily before she caught herself and began to furiously re-braid her hair, twisting in the booth to find the pins that had fallen out. Carth merely grinned and helped her wordlessly, attempting to ignore the pains of his body.

"You're adorable when you're mussed," Carth whispered, leaning close to her ear, and laughed when she shoved him away. "Someone's a bit temperamental today," he said as he sat back up, a grin plastered on to his face.

Aminta huffed out a sigh. "And you are a…" she quickly reigned in her language when the twi'lek girl approached their table.

"You in some trouble with the sith?"

Aminta Jae finally calmed herself down enough to study the girl in front of her. The twi'lek's skin shone bright blue, her head tails twitching with curiosity. She had twinkling dark eyes and a bright, mischievous smile. Aminta judged her to be anywhere from fourteen to sixteen, and a girl worthy of their trust.

"What would make you ask that?" Aminta questioned, with a slight smile and a toss of her head.

"Well, the two of you were sitting pretty far apart, just talking, you know? And then, trash can there," she paused when she caught the two adult's amused glance, "Well, that's what I call all of those blood sucking sith!" she clarified before continuing, "comes in, the bar tender motions to you guys, and suddenly, the both of you are making out. The moment he leaves, you're arguing. Seems a bit convenient, don't it?" The girl's head tails swung lightly against her back with confidence. "And if you got a problem with the sith, you just made it onto my personal list of friends."

"And just who would you be?" Aminta asked with her arms crossed over her chest.

"Me? I'm Mission Vao."


	6. Chapter 6

Sorry it took so long. I got a new PC, and it took forever to get Microsoft Word up. Please R + R!

* * *

Aminta frowned slightly as she studied the slip of a twi'lek standing before her. Mission was a very pretty girl with soft feminine features and the smallest hint of lip gloss and eyeliner. So, she was just old enough to be using make-up, not yet experienced enough to try anything but the basics.

"Aren't you going to introduce yourself?" Mission asked as she slid into the booth without invitation. Aminta just glared.

Carth took the initiative and extended a hand. "I'm Carth, and the woman with the scowl is Aminta. We're pleased to meet you." Aminta kicked his shin in warning and Carth winced. "Well, at least I'm pleased to meet you," he muttered as he glared at Aminta. The woman smirked and took a sip of her caffa.

Mission grinned and shook Carth's extended hand, surprising him with the strength of her grip. "I'm glad to meet ya too," she responded in turn, and glanced towards Aminta, who glowered at her.

Attempting to cover for the woman's rudeness, Carth gave Mission a smile. "So, how did you come to hang around with a Wookie?"

Mission just grinned. "A couple of Vulkars were getting a bit too pushy with me. Big Z's quite chivalrous you know. He can't seem to stand watching a girl get picked on. Long story short, he got rid of the thugs and it's been just the two of us ever since."

Carth frowned. "Just the two of you? Don't you have any family to look out for you?"

Mission's previously good mood dropped quickly, and she glared at him. _Note to self: fill pockets with chocolate when in a five mile radius of the female species._ "Look, I don't talk about my past, or my family, okay?"

Carth coughed, and out of nowhere, Aminta laughed. Mission and Carth turned to stare at her, and she grinned. "Got trust issues, huh?" she asked Mission with a sideways look towards Carth.

Mission bristled and she went to stand up, but Aminta grabbed her wrist and pulled her back down. "Join the club," she exclaimed, and Carth let out a slight chuckle. Mission stared at the pair, wide eyed.

"Well, for formality's sake," Aminta extended a hand, "I'm pleased to meet you too, Mission."

Mission stared at Aminta, then at a grinning Carth, then at the woman again. _They're nuts._

As though he could read her thoughts, Carth mouthed "mood swings" with a roll of his eyes. Mission nodded, and then smiled again.

Aminta noted the exchange, but chose to ignore it. She'd yell at Carth later, away from the teenager. The last thing the girl needed was another bad influence on her life. The Lower City was practically crawling with low lives, and Mission was probably associated with half of them. Frowning at the thought, Aminta looked towards Mission. "Do you know a lot of people down here?"

Mission glanced sideways at the older woman. "More than some, less than others. Why do you wanna know?"

"Carth and I were separated from a… friend… when we arrived, and she's most likely in the Lower City. Would you know where we could find her?"

"By friend you mean a republic soldier, don't you?" Mission asked slowly.

Aminta sat in silence, and Carth coughed. "What makes you think that?" he asked warily.

Mission rolled her eyes. "Please," the girl muttered sarcastically with a roll of her eyes. Aminta smiled slightly. She and Mission were cut from the same cloth.

"Let's just say that she's with the republic." Aminta replied vaguely, not yet sure how the natives felt about Jedi.

Mission nodded slowly, accepting the fact that Aminta was hiding something from her. The girl was more intuitive than she'd been given credit for. "There's a swoop race coming up soon, and the Vulkars are giving a Jedi up as a prize. I'm guessing that she's the one you're looking for."

Carth glanced at Aminta warily, who just smiled. "I like you Mission, and that means a lot coming from me. You can read between the lines."

Mission looked startled for a minute, unused to compliments, but then her face broke out in a grin. "I like you too. You're pretty smart yourself."

Carth rolled his eyes. _Females. They choose the strangest times to bond._ "How would we be able to get to our friend?" he asked, attempting to steer them back to their previous conversation.

Mission glanced over at him with a look of resignation. "You can't."

"What?" Aminta and Carth demanded in unison.

"Look, nobody knows where Brejik's keeping her, so there's no way that you could get to her before the race. And as for entering… you'd have to be in a gang to get on the track."

Carth groaned, and Aminta rubbed her temple. "Look, Mission. There's always a loop hole. It's just the matter of finding one…" she paused suddenly, and looked back up at Mission. "Who's Brejik?"

"The leader of the Black Vulkars; bastards, the lot of them." She muttered as her lekku curled protectively around her shoulders.

Carth's eyes widened, and he opened his mouth to remark on the teen's language. Aminta threw him a silencing look, and spoke before he could. "I gather you don't particularly like this gang," she remarked with a smile.

Mission shook her head. "Not in the slightest," she confirmed. "They're no better than the Gammorean slavers that live in the sewers."

Carth grimaced at the implied smell, and looked back to Mission. "So… about that loop hole that Ami mentioned?"

Mission grinned at leaned back in the booth. "Lucky for you, the Hidden Beks owe me a rather large favor."

Carth raised an eyebrow and stared at the girl. "Exactly how old are you?"

Mission bristled under his stare. "Hey, I'm no kid, and before we get any farther into this conversation, you'd better get your mind wrapped around that!"

Aminta cleared her throat to get the pair's attention. "Sometimes you grow up faster than you age," she commented with a smile. "Especially when you're looking out for yourself."

Carth bristled, but softened when he saw the grateful smile that Mission sent Aminta. "Maybe," he conceded with a slight smile. That was enough of an apology for Mission.

"So, about the favor the Hidden Beks owe you…" Aminta prompted, and Mission nodded brusquely.

"Just go to the base and tell them that Mission sent you. That should be enough to get you in. When you talk to Gadon -the leader- tell him your story, and then say that Mission's calling in the Big one. He'll know what it means."

A loud growl sounded from the other side of the Cantina, and Aminta smothered a chuckle at what the Wookie had said. It meant something along the lines of 'Get your scrawny blue butt over here before I rip your lekku out.' Mission grimaced, and stood hastily. "The fur ball is hollering," she explained with a shrug.

Carth extended a hand. "Thanks Mission. We owe you one."

Mission smirked as she took his hand. "Doesn't everyone?" With that she turned and sauntered away, leaving Carth to shake his head in amusement.

"She really doesn't act her age, does she?"

Aminta grinned. "She acts the same way I did when I was her age," she chuckled.

Carth shook his head. "At least I don't have to live with her. I don't want to imagine what it would be like to live with two of you!"

"Watch it flyboy. I know where you sleep," Aminta muttered, and Carth held his hands up in mock surrender.

"You ready to leave yet?" he asked, changing the subject from the twi'lek girl.

Aminta looked down at her chrono and winced at the time. "If we expect to get inside the base before the gang members crash, I guess we probably should leave now."

"Good," Carth breathed as he hurried out of the booth.

Aminta rolled her eyes and she stepped out of the cantina ahead of him. "You really don't like these places, do you?"

"You honestly have to ask?"

—————————————-

"Look, I'm telling you, I don't mean your man any harm!" She exclaimed for the thousandth time, stamping her foot in frustration. Her eyes shone defiant and determined as she stared down the Hidden Bek member.

Carth would have been amused at her antics had it been at any other time, but they were so close to finding Bastila, and yet held at bay by a know-it-all, stubborn, gang member, that he couldn't afford to laugh.

The guard sighed wearily. "Look, I've told you several times now, no one gets in without the password," she said, her face impassive besides the flush of anger blooming on her cheeks.

Aminta felt the heat rise up her own neck as well as she concentrated on keeping this conversation as civil as possible. She took a deep breath to calm herself, and when that didn't work, she delved back into the conversation anyway. "Mission didn't say anything about needing a password!" She exclaimed hotly.

The woman at the door raised an eyebrow, but said nothing.

"All she said was to tell you guys that 'Mission sent me.' She also said that you guys owe her a few favors, and I don't think Zalbaar would be very happy if he found out you kept his buddy's friends from talking to Gadon." Aminta couldn't help to add the threat. Nothing else had worked thus far.

The guard's face showed her anger. "Look, my job is to protect everyone in the base alright! How do I know you're not a Vulkar spy? And how do I prove you're not if you won't tell me anything?"

"How do I know that you aren't in league with the Sith, and will turn us in the moment that we turn around?" Aminta countered.

"If you trusted Mission enough to tell her enough of what is going on with you two, why can't you tell me so that I can give you clearance?" The woman demanded, beginning to sound as angry and agitated as Aminta was.

"Mission's just a kid, and she approached us, not the other way around. Spies don't do that. Besides, I didn't sense any danger from her."

The woman groaned. "Look, kids like Mission are used every day by the Vulkars to get the information that the gang needs. And What are you, a Jedi to be sensing people?"

"No. I just happen to have good instincts, that's all. I've learned to trust them. Now please, let me talk to Gadon. You can escort me for all I care, but I really, really need to see him!"

The guard crossed her arms over her chest. "No. I cannot allow you in there. Now make both our lives a whole lot easier and step aside!" the woman growled.

Aminta ran a small hand over her hair, suddenly wishing that whatever came out of her mouth would persuade the woman to let her through. "I'm not leaving. You are going to let me in. Mission sent me." Aminta said the words calmly, thinking about how wonderful it would be if the woman would just believe what she said and let them through.

The guard's eyes glazed over, and she glanced at Aminta with a drugged calm, as though she hadn't been arguing with her for over an hour. "Yes. Mission's a good kid. If she sent you…I'm going to let you in now." Without another word, the woman typed the pass code into the console by the door, and stepped aside so that Carth and Aminta could enter.

Aminta walked in, feeling dazed. "That was rather… strange," she commented, and glanced over at Carth, who had been relatively silent for most of the argument.

Carth stared at her warily. "You sure you haven't been taking lessons from the Jedi? That seemed a lot like one of the tricks that they have up their robes"

Aminta frowned, and shook her head. "I make it a point not to be around Jedi. Still, that was strange," she said softly, continuing down the corridor. _But not too strange, it seemed…almost familiar, as though I could always influence someone as I just did._ She didn't say anything to Carth, but angrily noted that she felt confused. And she hated being confused and out of control even more than she hated the Sith.

——————————————

"So, were you expecting a warm reception?" Carth asked, leaning down to whisper in Amanita's ear. Hidden Beks filled the inner chamber of the base, standing still and eyeing Carth and Aminta with suspicion.

"Yeah. And I expected them to give us their weapons too," she muttered as she glanced up at Carth, cursing their height difference.

Carth shook his head. "Always the sarcasm."

"Always the paranoia," Aminta countered, noting how he assessed the strengths of each gang member that they passed.

Carth was just opening his mouth to say something when a purple twi'lek stood, and stared at them with cold, steely eyes. "What is your business here?" She demanded angrily, her hand moving to her blaster belt, resting on her hip. "Are you spies? Spies sent from Brejik? How did you get in here?" The woman was nearly at the point of raving like a lunatic.

"And I thought you had issues. You should give her your sister's card," Aminta murmured under her breath, and Carth smothered his laughter.

"Zaedra! Calm down!" the old man she was standing beside exclaimed. The motioned with his hand for the pair to approach them. "They do not seem to be spies to me." he told her. Zaedra looked like she was about to protest. Gadon glared at her with his unseeing eyes, and then turned his attention towards Aminta. "Come closer, child" he said in a gentle voice, albeit with a tone that told her she didn't dare to refuse.

Aminta stepped forward obediently. "My friend and I are looking for someone. Someone rather important I'm afraid." When the man didn't reply, Aminta licked her lips and continued. "Mission told me that the Vulkars have our friend, and the only way that we can get to her is by winning the swoop race. She also told me to tell you that she's calling in on the Big One. She said you'd know what it meant." Aminta's chin lifted with the last sentence, daring him to deny her request.

Carth saw the old man's face brighten when Aminta mentioned the Vulkars. The man rubbed his chin with his hand as he stood in thought. After a minute or so, Aminta tapped her foot on the floor and glanced at her chrono. Carth nudged her, and Zaedra glared daggers. "I will help you," he said at last, placing both hands palms down on the table.

Zaedra gasped beside him, the blaster that she had been fingering momentarily forgotten. "Gadon, you can't be serious!" she exclaimed, her dark eyes wide with surprise and disapproval.

Gadon held up a hand to silence the woman. "Don't bother arguing. I've made up my mind!" he exclaimed, his voice strongly discouraging further argument. Zaedra's mouth hung open, but she backed a step away. When she glanced back to the pair standing before her, her eyes were smoldering.

Aminta gave her a fully satisfied smirk, and Carth ran a hand over his face. Why couldn't the woman ever once behave?

"…But, I need your help in return."

Aminta groaned. "Can't anybody give anything without expecting to get something back?"

Carth rolled his eyes, and Zaedra's nostril's flared with fury. Gadon, however, laughed. "You've got spunk kid, I'll give you that."

Carth stepped in before Aminta could say anything else that might challenge Gadon's goodwill. "What do you need done?" he asked in a clipped, business-like tone.

Your request suits my needs, which is why I've agreed to help you. I will let you race in the tournament. If you win, you get your friend. If you lose…Well, that's your problem. Are we good so far?" At Carth's curt yes, he continued. "But, you need to retrieve something for me before I let you race. The black Vulkars infiltrated the base, and managed to get our prototype swoop engine. It's our only chance at winning. If you retrieve it for me from their base, you get all the help you need. Do we have a deal?" Gadon stuck out his hand, and Aminta went to grasp it.

Carth quickly grabbed Aminta's forearm, still covered with his jacket. "Wait a second. Do you hear what this guy is saying? To enter a base uninvited is suicide!" he exclaimed harshly.

Aminta grinned. "Hey! The past six years of life has involved breaking and entering. I'm a pro." she told him proudly, raising her chin a notch higher than necessary.

Carth shook his head. "That is not something to be proud of," he informed her, treating her as though it was his responsibility to teach her right from wrong.

Aminta ignored his paternal tone. "It sure comes in handy though!" she exclaimed, turning back to Gadon. "You've got yourself a deal," she told the old man as she shook his hand. She could hear Carth groan in frustration behind her, but she ignored him. "So, how exactly do we get in?" She asked Gadon.

Gadon turned to look at Zaedra. "Mission could…"

"Mission's just a kid!" Zaedra exclaimed, as though she were offended by Gadon's proposition, and it was her own daughter that would be going to the Vulkar's base.

"Maybe, but she's the best we've got, that we can afford to…" Aminta had a strong suspicion that Gadon was going to finish off the sentence by saying lose, but the man stopped when he could feel the glares of three people boring into him. "Anyway, she's the best qualified. She's been there before, and that's more than anyone else could say," he amended.

Zaedra looked like she was going to argue more, but Aminta butted in before the twi'lek could say anything. "We just left Mission at the cantina, but Zalbaar looked like he was just about finished with his meal. Anywhere that she would go besides the cantina? For recreation, maybe?"

Gadon smiled. "Mission's idea of recreation is going into stealth mode and sneaking up on people," he chuckled. "I've been her victim several times myself, though she doesn't really need to be invisible to sneak up on me," he said in reference to his failed eyesight. "But you'd be most likely to find her in the under city sewers. She likes to hang out down there.

Aminta laughed when she saw the Carth's nose had screwed up in distaste. "What, the sewers don't appeal to pretty flyboys?" she teased, laughing harder when Carth turned red.

"I had to wade through waste in a sewer during a battle I fought. I still have nightmares about the smell," he complained.

"You get used to it after a while. Just pretend that it's a joy-girl's perfume. That should make you forget the stench for a few minutes," she said the last bit in a whisper, but from the barking laugh coming from behind the desk, it was obvious that Gadon had heard the statement.

"The under city?" Carth said, in an attempt to salvage what little dignity he had left. "Isn't that kind of a dangerous place for a kid to stay? I mean, with slave traders and sith, isn't it likely that she'd get into trouble?"

Gadon laughed. "That kid gets in and out of trouble more easily and more times than I could ever count. Down here, trouble is synonymous with Mission's name."

Carth grimaced. "She's definitely just like you," Carth whispered to Aminta, who simply glared at him. He quickly turned his attention back towards Gadon. "So, is the elevator to the under city guarded by Sith too?" he asked.

Gadon nodded. "How, may I ask, did you get down here in the first place," he inquired, his face lighting with curiosity.

"We had some sith uniforms," Aminta responded quickly. "It's a long story as to how we got them, and I really don't want to get into it," she told the man before he could ask anything further.

"Fair enough," Gadon acknowledged. "But uniforms aren't going to be much help to you. You're going to need some identification papers. It just so happens that I have some here, but what I really need are some uniforms, so if we could trade…"

Aminta quickly pulled the uniforms from the bag that she had slung about her shoulders, and handed them to Zaedra. Zaedra grudgingly accepted them, and Carth noted that she had gone back to fingering her blaster again. _My sister would have a field day with her_, he thought and watched as Gadon handed two stacks of papers to Aminta.

Aminta unceremoniously dumped them into her bag, and Carth winced. "Don't worry, we'll be back," she said with a smirk and a haughty glance at Zaedra before she sauntered towards the exit. Carth muttered a colorful oath and followed.

——————————————

Aminta flicked on the light to the apartment, and groaned when she saw that the bulb gave off nothing but an inconsistent flicker. Carth stepped in behind her and turned off the light. "It doesn't matter, we'll only be staying here for one night." He smothered a yawn.

"And there's always the fact that the rest of the abandoned apartments will be in pretty bad shape too," Aminta observed as she stepped into the semi-darkness. There was just enough light coming from the hallway so that the pair wouldn't trip or stumble as they made their way over to the bedroom.

Carth opened the door, and paused slightly when he looked inside. "There's… there's only one bed," he managed before turning to look at her.

Aminta rolled her eyes and strode past him into the room. "We aren't teenagers Carth. I think we can handle it," she smirked. Cautiously, she flipped down the covers to check for bugs, and sighed with relief when she found none.

"We aren't teenagers anymore Carth," Carth mimicked under his breath, and raised his eyebrows when Aminta turned to look at him. He was almost certain he could hear her mutter 'immature' under her breath, but he didn't really care. Instead of replying in turn, he yanked off his boots and threw the covers on top of him.

Aminta watched Carth through narrow eyes before letting out a breath of frustration. _Immature, annoying, stupid, paranoid…_ she mentally listed all of the things that she hated about him as she got undressed. She glared in the sleeping man's direction before climbing into her side of the bed, careful to stay as close to the edge as possible.

_The room was dark, so dark that when she lifted her hand so that it was several inches before her face, she still couldn't see it. She was afraid, terrified probably being the most accurate word. Suddenly, the sound of rustling cloth greeted her ears. "Hello?" she asked, crossing her arms tightly over her chest. There was no answer, but the sound of footsteps heading towards her echoed throughout the cavern. "Hello?" she asked again, trying to control the shudders that ran over the length of her body. Still, there was no response, but the sounds of cloth rustling and footsteps approaching were joined by ragged breathing. "Hello?" this time, the word that she spoke was said in a choking whisper, as she attempted to speak beyond the lump that had formed in her throat._

_Finally, a voice answered her. The voice was raspy, dark and sinister, a twisted, mutilated version of her own voice. "You do not know me?" it asked, the words sending shivers down the length of her spine. The presence of the person behind the voice was now before her, and though she could not see the figure, she could feel waves of anger, hatred, and corruption emanating from it. _

"_No," she choked out, cursing the fear that clogged her voice. The presence laughed, but not a laugh that she could recognize. It was wheezy, filled with bitterness and contempt, even while expressing mirth. It was every bit as twisted as the voice that it had spoken in earlier. _

"_You are weaker than I thought," it said again, and the cruelty in the voice caused her to grow stiff._

"_Who are you?" she asked, her voice grown soft. _

"_You do not know me, yet you are me. Why should I tell you who I am if you yourself so not know who you are?" the voice asked, its voice grown deadly quiet so that she had to strain to hear it. _

"_I do not understand." She shivered, and wrapped her arms around herself. "Please, tell me. Explain yourself to me, for how am I to know what I have not yet learned?"_

_The voice cackled with laughter. "You learn quickly, answering my riddles with ones of your own. That will serve you well, for it has served us well once before."_

"_You must tell me who you are. You speak of us as though we are intertwined, yet I do not know you. Must I know who I am twined with to learn of myself?"_

_The voice cackled again, and a bright red glow illuminated half of the figure. It was dressed in black robes, long and concealing so that she could not decipher the gender of the figure before her. She looked through the shadows to peer at its face, but a mask hid its features from sight. She turned her attention back to the source of light, and saw in the figure's hand…a light saber. "Who are you?" she exclaimed, and a sense of dread crept over her. _

_The figure snarled. "You wish to know who I am, and so you shall!" With these words, the figure lifted the mask to reveal a face that was once pretty, but ravaged by dark, pulsing veins. The eyes were yellow and cloudy, the full lips pale and curled back into a sneer. The face was at once hideous and familiar, for it was her face in the shadows, her face that had been ravaged by darkness. _

_She stumbled backwards, and tried to scream, but the figure lifted its hand, and she could feel her air be cut off. She clawed at her neck to try and remove the hands that were strangling her, but there was nothing there. Her fingers came away with blood as she continued to struggle. Her warped double came closer to her as it spoke, and she could barely see through the black that had begun to cloud her vision. "You and I are one. I am you, and so you are me." It gripped her shoulders, and she could feel the fingers dripping with searing heat. _

_She screamed as her double burned her, searing through cloth and flesh. The scream that issued forth from her mouth was not her own scream, however, but a twisted, demented version. It was the scream of her image that came from her soul, tearing away the light laughter and gentle smile that had come to be her own. The figure gripped her tighter, and she began to struggle as it seeped more of herself away, and added to her inner darkness. She screamed harder, for herself, for the figure, and for those that had been hurt by both of them. The figure was unrelenting, and now it was shaking her, shaking all of the sense from her head…_

"Aminta!" Carth shouted, struggling to keep the young woman in his grasp. She continued to thrash, and worse, to scream. He had never heard a scream like this before, from anyone. It sounded like she was waking from the dead, or falling into hell, pulling all the souls in the galaxy down with her. Beads of sweat stood out on her forehead, and blood dripped from her neck where she had been clawing at herself before he had managed to pull her hands away. She was scaring him. "Aminta!" he shouted again, and began to shake her. Her screaming grew louder, her thrashing more intense. He yanked her by her shoulders. "Aminta! Wake up!"

Carth let out a deep sigh of relief when her eyes snapped open, and she finally stopped screaming. Her breathing was haggard, and her eyes were wide and clouded, darting back and forth around the room. "Where is it?" she whispered, her voice filled with fear. She began trembling. "Where is it?" she asked again, and looked like she was about to begin screaming again.

He drew her against his chest and gently stroked her hair, now damp with sweat. "Shh, its okay. It was only a nightmare. No one's here but me," he murmured, gently rocking her.

"It was killing me… It's going to kill me Carth! It's coming for me… It's coming…" She was panicking, Carth could tell, and he pressed her closer to him. "You're alright. Nothing's going to kill you, okay? Nothing. You'll be fine. I'm here; I'll make sure that nothing will ever hurt you," he whispered into her hair, and gently brushed his fingers over her pale forehead.

Aminta began to sob against his chest, and Carth started with surprise. He had begun to think that she was incapable of crying, and now here she was - broken in his arms. "Shh, it's alright, it's alright," he murmured in comforting tones as he had to Dustil when his son was a small child. "It was only a dream," he said softly into her hair as he leaned down to kiss her forehead. But he knew otherwise. She had inflicted injury to herself, and he was sure that something worse that a bloody neck would have happened if her screams hadn't had woken him up.

She began to shudder, though her sobs remained slient. Carth gently stroked her back with a large calloused hand, speaking words of comfort to her as though she were a small child. After what seemed like an eternity, her sobbing ceased, and she fell asleep against his chest.

———————————————

Morning dawned slowly, and the gentle rays stretched through the blinds of the dingy apartment onto the pair sleeping on a small cot. Aminta was the first to awaken, and frowned when she felt a coarse shirt against her bare shoulder blades, large arms twined about her waist, and heard the slumber of a man. "Kael?" she asked through her fog of slumber, and pressed closer against the man's chest. It had been so long since Kael had been…She realized with a start that this was not Kael at all, but Carth who she was pressed against.

Heat flooded her face with shame when she remembered what had happened the night before. She pried Carth's hands apart from around her waist, and gently laid them down, determined not to wake him. It was the least she could do after how kind he had been to her when she had woken up. She grimaced at how she had been thinking of him before she had fallen asleep. Apparently, he had his good points too.

Aminta stood and stretched, refusing to allow her mind to dwell on the nightmare that she had last night. The briefest thought of it caused the hair on her neck to stand on end. She shook her head, and walked to the refresher, giving a quick glance towards the mirror as she went to go through the door. Something in the reflection stopped her. Dried blood ran down the column of her throat, and she lifted her fingers to trace the trail that the red drops had left. She shivered, and hurried to the sonic shower, determined to put the whole experience from her mind.

————————————-

When Carth woke, he first realized that his arms were empty. He sat up in bed, and looked around the room before realizing that Aminta was showering. He rubbed a hand over his face. He hadn't gotten much sleep last night, and was probably more tired now than he had been when he had thrown himself on the cot the night before. He yawned and groaned as he stood up, acutely aware of his age as he stretched his sore joints.

"We can stay here another few hours if you want to get some more sleep." Aminta's voice was unexpected, and Carth jumped. Aminta chuckled softly. "You should be used to me by now," she teased him as she bent down to dig through her canvas bag.

Carth frowned, his sight still clouded from sleep. When his eyes were finally able to focus, the first thing that he saw was Aminta's bent body. His gaze traveled of its own volition from the crown of her head, covered in wet, tangled hair, down the curve of her back, and settled on her well formed backside. Aminta stood up and turned around suddenly, and shook her head when she realized what Carth had been looking at. "You're drooling," she said dryly. Carth flushed, and quickly averted his gaze.

Carth cleared his throat in mortification as he turned his head. "No, I'm good to go. I don't want to stay down here any longer than we have to."

"Suit yourself," Aminta muttered with a shrug of her shoulders as she bent down to her canvas bag again. Carth made a point to look in the opposite direction.

"So, what do we plan on doing today?"

Aminta stood up, a brush in her hand. "First, we're going to head to the Cantina to get breakfast and look for Mission. If she's not there, we go to the under city. Anything you had planned that's not included?" she asked as she began running the brush that she had retrieved from her bag through her unruly mane, wincing when it pulled at the tangles.

_She's certainly making a point to be nice to me this morning._ "No. My only mission is to find Bastila, and as you seem to already have that covered…" Carth stopped speaking when she let out a gasp of pain as she ran into a particularly nasty tangle. "Why do you have such long hair anyway?" he asked, quickly changing the subject.

Aminta shrugged as she continued to push the brush through her hair. "It's one of my only vanities, and links to my past. I haven't cut it since I was thirteen, besides the occasional trim. Deralia tradition you know," she told him with a slight, forced smile.

Carth nodded, showing that he recognized the tradition. When a girl of Deralia reached the years that childbearing was possible, her locks were no longer cut. It was an age old custom, and many of the women had cast it off along with the large and cumbersome traditional Kyrieah garb. Only the women of the elite upper class had maintained it, as they were the select few that could afford to have their hair styled, and to whom it was an asset rather than a burden. "So, you were wealthy?"

Aminta froze, but then continued to push the brush through her hair. "I was when I lived there," she told him with an indifferent shrug.

"Why'd you leave?" Carth couldn't help but to pry.

"What was on Telos that was so important to you?" Aminta countered, eager to have the topic of conversation shifted away from her.

Carth stared at her for a few seconds, debating whether or not her information was worth giving away some of his. After a moment of indecision, he decided that it was. "Admiral Saul Karath."

Aminta's mouth dropped, and she nearly dropped her brush. He didn't strike her as the type… sure his pants were a little tight, but she had found that to be a turn-on. "What?" she croaked.

Carth eyed her strangely, wondering at what she had taken that to mean. "He was a good man; my mentor. Everything that I had wanted to be.," he started, and then stopped. "He joined Revan and Malak, giving them everything they needed to know about Telos' defenses."

Aminta gently set her brushed down, and lightly rested her hand on Carth's arm. "You sound guilty," she observed, and bit her lip when Carth's anguished gaze turned to her.

"I could have stopped it," he murmured softly, and Aminta frowned. "When he joined the Sith, he came to me… told me to join with him. He told me that I was one of his brightest students, that the Republic was the one causing the problems, that the Sith needed me to make the galaxy right. I refused, but I didn't tell anyone what had happened. A week later, Telos was destroyed." Carth met Aminta's eyes again. "I should have said something; maybe then Telos would still be here… Maybe then I wouldn't have failed them," he finished the last bit in a whisper.

Aminta bit her lip, and stood on tip toe so that she could cup his face with her hands. "It isn't your fault Carth," she told him softly, but with deep conviction. "Nothing could have reversed what happened; Ultimately, it was Revan and Malak's decision that destroyed your home, and Revan already got what was coming to him. Malak will get his punishment soon too."

Carth stepped away from her, and cleared his throat. "Why'd you leave Deralia?" Carth asked again.

Aminta sighed in resignation. It appeared she had no choice but to answer. "I…did something that made my father hate me. He sold me when I was seven. Last I heard, he told everyone that I'd fallen into the sea. Apparently, they searched for weeks, but obviously, they never found my body. I haven't been home since the day I left."

Carth stared at her. "I'm sorry," he managed, but the words seemed inadequate.

Aminta shrugged with nonchalance. "Don't be," she replied easily as she started to run the brush through her hair again, nearly crying out in frustration when she hit another tangle. "I swear, I'm going to cut this mop off one day!" she exclaimed vehemently.

Carth chuckled, glad for the distraction. "Here, let me help," he yanked the brush from her hand and went to work on her hair, despite the colorful curses that she threw his way.

"This is ridiculous. Having this much hair is absolutely impossible," she muttered as Carth patiently worked his way through the knot. It angered Aminta to admit it, but he was better at brushing her hair than she was.

Carth grinned. "Maybe, but it does give a woman a certain advantage in the bedroom," Carth replied with a slight shrug.

Aminta rolled her eyes and elbowed Carth in the gut. "You are so utterly male," she grumbled, crossing her arms over her chest. "I'll be glad when we finally find Mission."

"What, so you can complain about your men folk?" he teased.

"Mission's too young to be complaining about men. She's got at least two or three years left to go," she paused for a moment and looked at Carth slyly, "though I guess I wouldn't mind prejudicing her against pretty flyboys." Aminta abruptly stood up, and took her hairbrush from Carth's hand. "And it wouldn't be hard to do if she got one look at you. Comb your hair and brush your teeth, oh, and please straighten your clothing just a tad. A trip to the refresher wouldn't do you any harm either."

"Aren't we authoritative this morning?"

"Move."

—————————————

Yay! Thank you Rainwood, and every body else who have been so supportive. Sorry it's so short. I am suffering from writer's block. Sue me. :) Comments are appreciated. Thanks so much for reading!


	7. Chapter 7

Thanks to everyone who's read this, especially the amazing Rainwood who gives out equally amazing critiques!

—————————-

"Stop whining Carth. We'll only be in here for a few minutes," Aminta grumbled as she strode into the cantina.

"I never thought I'd be in such a miserable place two days in a row," Carth moaned as he followed her into the stench. _What? Do people have something against deodorant?_

Aminta restrained herself from tolling her eyes. "Get over yourself, Onasi," she muttered, and smirked at the look on Carth's face. Deciding to ignore him for the time being, she slid into the nearest available booth, not really caring whether or not he followed her example.

Carth sank down into the seat across from her and winced as he picked up a greased and stained menu. "Real classy," he grumbled under his breath as he eyeballed the selections. Aminta smirked and shook her head as she glanced over one of her own.

"Wat cayn ah git ya tidaye?" The horrid accent was what first demanded Carth's attention, but the big hair and obscene leather skirt weren't far behind. The woman shifted her rather substantial weight to her other foot as she loudly smacked her hiffa gum. Carth grimaced and turned his attention back to the menu.

Aminta kicked Carth's shin under the table, and he glared at her briefly before looking up at the woman, pointedly ignoring the wad of gum that was bouncing around her open mouth. "I'll have a nerf-burger," he ordered, and then busied himself by watching the twi'lek dancers.

Aminta glanced in the direction that Carth was looking and rolled her eyes before looking up at the waitress. "Do you have anything that isn't soaked, dipped, slathered, or fried in grease?"

The woman glanced at Aminta as though she were repulsed. "Nah. Ah sure dun't."

"Never mind, then." She placed the menu back on the edge of the table and slid back out of the booth. The waitress glared at her as if it was a personal insult, and flounced off. _She's got a bug up her ass._ Aminta winced when she saw how the woman jiggled when she walked. _Although it would have to be a huge bug for her to feel it._

"I'm going to go get us some caffa. Sit right there, and don't move until I come back," she instructed Carth as she turned to walk away.

"What am I, your slave?" Carth demanded as he went to stand and follow her.

"I thought I told you to sit." Carth sat. Aminta grinned and glanced him over. "As for your question… you're a free man. But… maybe I should become the new Dark Lord of the Sith and chain you to my throne as a love slave," she mused, smirking when she saw him flush.

"You'd better be kidding," he muttered as he stared up at her.

Aminta cocked her head to one side, "Hm… Maybe you're right. You probably wouldn't make such a good lover after all."

"What?" Carth demanded, his pride injured. He most definitely made a good lover, and he wasn't about to let her insult his abilities.

Aminta laughed and shook her head. "I was just teasing you Carth. It's a good thing."

Carth cocked a brow as he stared at her, as if to say 'How in all the galaxies is that a good thing?'

Aminta smiled. "It's good because it means I'm starting to trust you. Feel flattered," she smirked, and then sauntered to the bar, leaving a bewildered Carth in her wake.

"Can I help you with something miss?" the bartender asked, drying a glass as he spoke. Aminta glanced around the Cantina, sighing softly when she didn't see Mission there. It would have saved a trip to the under city. But she did see the waitress that had helped them in all of her shining leather glory.

"Could you tell me why she was hired?" Aminta asked, glancing over at the waitress who had taken her order.

The bartender chuckled softly. "Uila? She's a handful," he acknowledged as he looked over at her. "But give her a break, kid. She's had a hard few weeks."

Aminta frowned. "How so?" she asked as she swung herself onto the barstool.

"You want something to drink?"

Aminta cleared her throat and nodded. Apparently, it was a closed subject. "Two caffas," she ordered, and watched to be sure the bartender didn't put any cream or sugar in hers.

"Have you ever heard of rackghouls?" he asked as he filled the first cup, and Aminta frowned at the change of subject.

"No. I'm an offworlder, so a lot of the native organics are unfamiliar to me," she said slowly, attempting to figure out where he was going with the topic.

"My dear, they are dreadful creatures. They are grey, slime coated, eight eyed, and have huge fangs. But worse still is the disease they carry. If they infect you, their poison seeps into your bloodstream, warping your organs. You begin to cough up blood, and then…then you become one of them."

Aminta chuckled lightly with a toss of her head. "I hardly believe in fairy tales any more," she replied with a slight grin. But the face that looked back at her was deadly serious.

"They aren't creatures from a story book. Uila knows that best of all," he said with a nod in the waitress' direction. Aminta frowned and glanced him over, attempting to decipher whether this was truth or fiction. She could only sense honesty.

"Her son had been sneaking down to the under city for quite some time. It started as an adventurous sort of game, but he fell for one of the women that lived down there. She was infected by a rackghoul, and he was desperate to save her. He was certain that he could. But she morphed into one of them, and attacked him, and he…" the main trailed off. "He killed her to save his life. He came back up to the lower city infected, and transformed into a rackghoul before my very eyes. I had to kill him," he paused suddenly, "I don't think Uila ever forgave me for that," he mused, glancing over in the woman's direction.

Aminta bit her lip and lowered her eyes for a minute. "So that explains why she's such a bitch," she murmured under her breath as she spared a glance in the woman's direction again. She dug into her purse and quickly pulled out a handful of credits. "Give these to her, but don't let her know that they're from me," she said as she quickly pushed the credits at him.

"Ma'am, are you sure that you want to do this?"

Aminta smirked. "I'm going on an impulse here. Hurry up and pocket those before I remember just how annoying she is and decide to take them back."

The bartender cracked a smile and passed her the mugs of caffa. "Sure thing."

Aminta picked up the mugs and stood. "Thanks, um…"

"Guam," he supplied, and Aminta grinned.

"Yeah. Thanks Guam. I should probably get back to my friend before he calls the Sith on me." at the bartender's raised eyebrow, she shrugged. "What can I say? The guy's paranoid."

Guam grinned and shook his head. "I'll be sure to tell Uila that it wasn't the Deralian girl with blue eyes that supplied the credits.

Aminta laughed. "Say that, and I'll be forced to kill you."

Guam laughed and then went still for a second. "Hey, you want to go out for drinks or something tonight?" he asked with a slight grin.

Aminta paused and then smiled. "Sorry. I'm taken," she replied politely, and Guam shrugged sheepishly.

"Ah, it was worth a try," he said with a shrug as he turned to another customer. Aminta sighed with a shake of her head as she went back to the booth, hoping that Carth had listened to her and stayed seated.

Luckily for him, he was still sitting there when she arrived, barely refraining himself from digging into his food. When he noticed her. he let out a sigh of relief. "What took you so long?" he asked, eyeing the food.

Aminta laughed. "To make a long story short… Mission's not here. And we'd better watch out for rackghouls while we're in the under city," she handed him the caffa, and watched him stare at his nerfburger for a few seconds before grinning. "Carth, eat." He didn't waste any time.

"Hungry?" Aminta teased, and laughed when Carth ignored her, and continued to eat. She took a sip of her caffa and glanced around the room. "I think I'm going to have a look around, get better acquainted with the locals," she said as she put her cup down and wiped her hands on her pants.

"Do I have to stay seated this time?" he asked between mouthfuls.

"I'm not that cruel. You can come looking for me when you're done." At Carth's nod, Aminta left the booth and wandered around the cramped rooms, wishing she had her pazaak den with her. _I could have made a killing in here,_ she thought ruefully as she glanced around the pazaak den. It was clouded with the smoke of the patron's cigarras, and reeked of old ale, but somehow, it seemed homey. _That's probably just because you've lived half your life in a pazaak den_, she thought to herself as she exited that room and entered another.

The next room was dark, blue light flooding the floors and music blaring loudly. Aminta listened to the lyrics for a few seconds before grinning. _Onasi would turn as red as a sunburned gizka if he heard this._ Soon, however, the song was drowned out by the arguing of a female twi'lek and a human male.

Aminta shook her head and turned to walk from the room. It was never a good idea to get involved in a lover's spat. "She's my new partner!" The twi'lek exclaimed and pointed at her. Aminta stopped in her tracks and whirled around to face the woman.

"What?"

The twi'lek leaned close to her and whispered, "Just go along with it, please."

Aminta cocked an eyebrow. "What exactly is it that I'm supposed to go along with?" she asked as she crossed her arms and tapped her foot impatiently.

The woman bit her lip. "I'll give you a hundred credits if you audition with me." Seeing the look on Aminta's face, she hurried to assure her. "You only have to dance once, and then you'll never have to do it again."

Aminta bit the inside of her cheek and looked the man the twi'lek had been arguing with over. _Silk jacket, gold watch, Krayt leather boots… this deal is worth more than a hundred credits to her._ "Three hundred credits and I'll do it."

"One fifty."

"Two hundred."

"Deal!" The twi'lek exclaimed hurriedly. "Now take off your jacket and over-shirt."

Aminta glared at the woman. "I'll do whatever I feel like doing," she muttered, but stripped down to her undershirt anyways.

"Just try to make me look good, okay? Follow moves," the woman hissed, and Aminta bit back the urge to slap her.

———————-

Carth finished his nerfburger as quickly as he could, cursing Aminta for dragging him into the gods forsaken place. Though the various couples who had indulged themselves the night before were nowhere to be seen, the music played far too loudly. The night before, the speakers on his side of the room had been broken, so that the conversations were easily heard. Today, he was sitting very close to a working, and very loud speaker so that he could hear nothing but the pounding alien music.

He left a few credits on the table to pay for breakfast and began wandering the cantina in an attempt to find her. Most of the rooms that he entered were filled with smoke, and left him gagging, although he had indulged in a cigarra from time to time. Every time he entered one of those, he would wipe his tearing eyes with the sleeve of his jacket and continue into the next room.

In the last room that he entered, a crowd had gathered. He was pushed forward into the throng by an alien rather large in the horizontal way who reeked of body odor. Carth gagged, the cigarra smoke had smelled better than her. He found himself stuck between two equally grotesque beings, and pushed his way forward, in desperate need of fresh air. He hated crowds, always had. And now that he was stuck amongst an unwashed multitude, he felt as though he would throw up.

His queasiness subsided, however, the moment that he saw the object of the crowd's attention. An unfamiliar, scantily clad yellow twi'lek stood at the forefront of the makeshift stage, dancing rather well. But beside her stood an all too familiar Aminta Jae, dancing even better than the alien. Her movements were filled with the dancer's grace that he had observed in her everyday activities. But her movements were more than graceful. They were…erotic.

Carth's mouth went dry as he found himself responding to her dance. Three years of abstinence could do wonders to the body. For the first time, he was able to watch her unobserved, to trace the curves of her body with his eyes. Suddenly, her eyes were locked to his, and he could feel heat pouring into his face as she smirked. Instead of simply ignoring him, she turned to face him, and if possible, made her movements even more sensual. Carth broke his gaze with her and glanced down at the floor as he tried to calm his throbbing body. _Not fair! She plays dirty._

The man who was apparently interviewing the two women clapped his hands when it was over, and said some things that Carth couldn't hear. The twi'lek grinned and tossed Aminta something before flouncing off. Aminta's eyes went wide and she clenched her hands at her side as she watched the woman go.

A very drunk man up front demanded for her to do the dance again, but this time with a little less clothes on. Aminta glared at him and declined, but apparently the guy didn't get the hint. Instead of backing off, as Carth knew it was prudent to do, he reached out to cup Aminta's breast. Carth felt fury race through his veins as he moved forward to punch the guy, but Aminta beat him to it. She grabbed his arm and twisted it behind him until Carth could hear a sickening crack. The man screamed with agony, and Aminta whispered something in his ear before stalking off.

She went to pass him, and Carth caught her elbow. She whirled around to slap him, but softened slightly and returned her hand to her side when she saw who it was. "Let's get out of here," she murmured, glancing back at the stage.

Carth frowned at her display of weakness, but squeezed her arm and nodded. Aminta grabbed her over shirt and jacket from a nearby chair and threw them over her body, and Carth was both relieved and disappointed that he could no longer see her figure.

Aminta caught him looking and smirked, allowing whatever that was troubling her to slip to the back of her mind. "You like the dance, flyboy?"

Carth flushed and shrugged. "Maybe."

"Maybe?"

Maybe." Carth insisted firmly, determined that he wouldn't admit to just how much he had enjoyed watching her move. He quickly put the thought out of his mind, and let go of her arm. "You said that Mission was probably in the Under City?" he asked, swiftly changing the subject.

Aminta debated whether or not to ask him a few more questions, but let it drop. "Yeah. The sewers to be most precise. At least that's what Gadon told us."

"I remember. So, should we head down there now, or do you want to stop somewhere for lunch?" he asked eyeing her.

"You already ate a nerfburger, Carth. How hungry can you be?"

"Actually, I was talking about you. You've eaten one ration bar since we crashed on Taris. That's not healthy. Plus, you're too skinny for it to be natural…"

"Not this again!" Aminta exclaimed as she turned away from him and walked out of the cantina.

Carth followed close behind her. "I'm serious, Ami. You need to eat."

"Maybe I'm just not hungry," she responded without turning to look at him.

Carth grabbed her by her shoulders and turned her around to face him. Aminta glared up at him and went to pull away. "I broke the arm of the last guy that touched me. Don't test me," she spat, and tried to pull away from him again.

Carth refused to be intimidated, and held onto her tightly. "Look, Ami. I think that you have a problem, and I want to try and help you," he said softly, staring into her eyes.

"I don't have a problem, and I don't need your help!" she exclaimed as she yanked herself out of his grasp. This time, Carth let go of her shoulders and watched as she stalked away from him. He bit his lip and ran after Aminta, coming to a halt directly in front of her. "Look, I'm sorry if I'm making you uncomfortable," he tried, but Aminta brushed him away and continued walking. Carth grabbed her arm and turned her to face him, and was met with the expected resistance. "I'm just worried about you," he said softly as he gently cupped her chin.

Aminta set her jaw and glared at him. "Don't. You aren't my father, so that isn't your job."

Carth grinned. "Hey, you should feel flattered. It means that I'm starting to trust you," he said with a knowing smile as he repeated her words.

———————————————

"This day just gets better and better," Aminta muttered as she drew her blades for the third time since leaving the cantina.

"What? I thought you liked fighting thugs," Carth teased her lightly as he pulled his blasters out of their holsters.

Aminta glared at him as she readied herself. "Please."

The thugs approached them with blades held high, and Aminta dove into the thick of the battle, slashing at everything in reach of her blade. Carth held back and stood behind, picking off the ones that got too close to striking her.

When it was over, Aminta bent over and breathed heavily. "I'm beginning to think that this bas a bad idea," she groaned as she stood, and leaned back to try and relieve the dull ache in her back.

Carth grinned. "I know exactly how you feel," he said, and pulled the identification papers from the bag that Aminta was carrying. "So, you think we'll have any more run ins?" he asked, a grim smile on his face.

"The elevator is in sight. I sincerely hope that no one charges us in front of the sith guard there. That could make us seem…invalid."

Carth shrugged. "What's one more sith to add to our body count? I'm sure we could figure out how to operate the elevator ourselves." Honestly, that was what Carth found to be the better scenario. He could eliminate a Sith and gain access to the under city in one stroke.

"They have cameras, and a battalion of Sith would be waiting for us at the top of the elevator when we decided to come back up." She took the female identification from Carth's hands and scanned it. It certainly looked reliable, but she hoped that the Sith would buy it. "Ready?"

"As I'll ever be."

Aminta groaned. "That line is much too over used!" she then scowled at Carth's chuckle. "Alright, let's go," she said before sauntering off to the elevator.

Once they arrived, the first thing that Aminta noticed was how the guard was eyeing their clothing. She looked down on what they had on, and grimaced when she realized that both she and Carth were splattered in blood. "Ran into some trouble," she said simply, giving the vaguest explanation possible. The guard didn't ask her to elaborate, just nodded.

"You have identification papers?" he asked, his tone bored. He gave both Aminta's and Carth's papers a cursory glance before entering the code to begin the elevators descent. He handed the papers back to them with what must have been a smirk, but Aminta couldn't tell for certain; his face was cast in shadows by the helmet that he wore. Aminta understood how monotonous checking ID's all day long could be, but that didn't mean he had to be rude about it.

"You got a problem?" she demanded, planting her hands on her hips and glaring at him. Carth gave her a warning glance, but she ignored him.

The Sith crossed his arms over his chest. "Just wondering if you had any of the rackghoul serum."

Aminta was surprised that a cure had been invented, but she didn't allow it to show. "No, they ran out. The lab is producing more as we speak," she lied. "You have any that we could use?"

The guard laughed at her. "If I had any, I sure as hell wouldn't be giving it to you." The doors swung open, and the guard impatiently gestured for them to enter. "Good luck down there." But the way he said it didn't sound like he wished them luck.

Aminta and Carth entered the elevator, and Aminta felt her stomach lurch as they began their descent. "I hope this doesn't take too long," she said, feeling queasy.

Carth eyed her cautiously. "You aren't going to be vomiting any time soon, are you?"

Aminta put a hand to her stomach and gave a little laugh. "Nah. I just hate elevators." she felt her stomach give another little churn, and she winced. "It feels like I'm pregnant," she managed with a slight laugh.

Carth smiled at her with a shake of his head as he took a seat against the wall. "You might want to join me. It should be a while until we reach the ground," he said as he leaned his head back and closed his eyes.

Aminta did as Carth advised, a hand pressed against her swirling abdomen. She definitely didn't miss this particular sensation. She sank down beside Carth and rested her elbows on her knees, closing her eyes and trying to block out the wave of dizziness that overcame her.

"_I'm getting so sick of all of these customers!" Aminta exclaimed as she smeared some rouge over her lips. _

"_You're telling me!" Vitaria exclaimed, tossing her blonde hair over her shoulder as she slid in a pair of earrings. "Korvo should definitely give us a break."_

"_No kidding. We work night and day for him, and what does he ever do for us? Nothing. And what happens when we ask for a break?"_

"_He makes us take on double our usual amount of customers. I guess I wouldn't mind so much if he gave us a few compliments now and again, but it's always criticism with him."_

"_If only it were just criticism!" Aminta exclaimed as she pulled a few curls down from her braid to frame her face._

"_Ami, don't be crude," Vitaria rolled her eyes and checked her appearance again. "We get enough of that downstairs, and I don't want to hear it up here."_

"_It's kind of difficult not to," Aminta smirked, nodding her head to the next room over as she made certain that she looked acceptable. _

_Vitaria rolled her eyes. "Let's just go. If we don't, the old man is probably going to put us on kitchen duty."_

"_And that would be a bad thing?"_

"_You hate to clean," Vitaria pointed out as she locked the door to their room behind them. _

"_Not as much as I hate customers." Aminta pressed the button to the elevator and watched as the lights blinked up to their level. _

"_You should be used to it by now. You've been doing it for what, seven or eight years now?" Vitaria stepped into the elevator. "I've been doing it for a few years less; you should be more used to them than I am." The doors slid behind the girls and Aminta looked away. _

"_Just because you've been doing something for a long time doesn't mean that you enjoy it," she murmured. _

_Vitaria froze suddenly and licked her lips. "I'm sorry, Ami. I forgot."_

"_It's…" Aminta clutched her abdomen in pain as she sank to the ground, biting the inside of her cheek so hard that she bled. _

"_Ami?" Vitaria fell to her knees beside her friend as she checked her vital signs. Her pulse was erratic, and the girl was breathing hard. "Ami!" she exclaimed as she drew the girl's head into her lap. _

_Aminta let out a whimper as she writhed in pain. "Call for help," she whispered, her face contorting as another wave hit her. She curled into a tight ball, oblivious to her friend's fear. _

_Vitaria nodded as she scrambled to her feet and hurried towards the comm unit. Suddenly, the elevator went black and jerked to a stop. Urged onwards by her friend's screams, Vitaria fumbled around in the darkness for the comm unit. When she picked it up, she found the line was dead. They were stuck, and gods only knew what was wrong with Aminta. _

_Trembling, Vitaria returned to her friend's side. "We're stuck here for a little while, but don't worry. Korvo will send one of the droids up to fix it, okay? You're going to be fine," she managed through quivering lips. _

_Aminta could sense her friend's fear. "You're… supposed…crying…not brave," she managed through gritted teeth. _

_Vitaria let out a watery laugh. "I'm not going to start crying on you," she whispered, although her cheeks were already covered in the tell tale moisture. "And I can be brave when I feel like it," she smiled softly as she touched her friend's forehead, which was now beginning to burn. _

"_What's…wrong…me?" Aminta choked out, curling up even tighter at the pain the effort caused her. _

_Vitaria swallowed hard. "It was probably only something you ate. You'll be fine," she attempted to reassure her friend as she stroked Ami's hair. "You'll be fine," she whispered, attempting to reassure herself. _

_But Aminta knew it was something far more serious._

Carth glanced over and saw how pale she was, and rested a hand on her cheek. Aminta's eyes jerked open, and her head turned so fast that her neck cracked. "I'm fine," she managed, and wrapped her arms around her slim frame.

Carth bit his lip. "No you're not. What's wrong?"

Aminta glared at him. "Did you not hear me? I told you that I was fine!" she exclaimed as she scooted further away from him.

Carth stared at her for a few minutes and noted that she was trembling. Something was bothering her, and it was killing him not to know what it was. Remembering their bargain, he debated whether or not his personal life was worth revealing. After a few moments or indecision, he realized that he really and truly wanted to talk about his past with someone. It scared him more than a little, but it was reassuring in a way. "My wife died on Telos," he whispered after a brief silence.

Aminta turned to look at him. "What?"

"My wife died on Telos," he said again, a bit louder this time.

"Which is why you hate Saul Karath so much," Aminta murmured, and gently placed a hand on his arm. "I'm sorry," she whispered, her voice catching in her throat. _We're so much alike,_ Aminta realized. _But still so different._

"Yeah. So am I." He looked down at his hands, and felt the familiar wave of guilt crash over him. He looked up to see Aminta's gaze settled on the far wall.

"I had a tubular pregnancy." she told him after a long silence.

Carth glanced at her, his brow furrowed. Aminta looked over at him. "It's why I hate elevators. The tube burst while I was stuck in one. I was inside for two hours. By the time that the doors opened, I couldn't even remember my name the pain was so bad."

"You didn't react this way to the one in the Upper City," Carth noted, glancing over at her rigid profile.

"That one was lit, and the descent was more gradual. This one's dark, and we're moving downwards pretty fast. It reminds me a lot of the elevator that I was in."

Carth nodded his understanding, and stood up as the elevator began to slow. "We're just about there," he said as he offered a hand to Aminta. He wasn't completely surprised when she brushed his hand away and stood up on her own.

The doors slid open, and the pair's first impression of the under city was darkness, and the stench. Aminta gasped when the stench of the under city filled the elevator, and although she couldn't see Carth, she could hear him gag beside her.

She covered her mouth and nose with the hands that had become invisible to her while cloaked in darkness. She then coughed several times, and blinked rapidly to decrease the time that it would take her eyes to adjust. Carth's implants allowed him to see in the dark faster than Aminta could, so that when her eyes had finally adjusted to the inky blackness, he was already surveying the terrain.

"This smell makes the sewers that I waded through smell heavenly," Carth muttered as he took a breath through his mouth, his voice coming out nasally because he was pinching his nose shut.

Aminta laughed at the way he sounded, and took a deep breath to try to accustom herself to what she knew would be entering her lungs for a very long time. "Imagine how much worse the sewers on this planet are going to smell," she remarked dryly as she looked around.

The bases of the immense towers rested in this ground, the pristine white of the upper city's buildings were shades of black and grey, and covered with rust down in the under city. The soil was hard and rocky, and seemed to ooze with a yellow-tinted slime, which was apparently what gave off the smell. Tents were backed up against the supportive structures of the upper city's mansions, their cloth worn and weathered, and the small fires that burned within them coated ash on the top of the makeshift homes. The few people that she could see were down-trodden, and walked about in filthy rags, and seemed to embody the hopelessness of life.

"Amazing how Taris really is, isn't it? You land in the upper city, and the planet seems so beautiful. You take an elevator down to the under city, and you see how things really are." Carth pointed out.

Aminta nodded her agreement, but whatever she might have said in response was cut off when two of the citizens of the under city stepped directly before them. Aminta was now in the position to realize that it was not just the peculiar slime oozing from the soil that was causing the stench; the unwashed inhabitants of the dreadful place were just as responsible for the malodorous smell.

"Halt upworlder!" The taller of the two grimy men exclaimed as Aminta took a step towards them. His voice was high and whiny, and grated on Carth's already frayed nerves.

"Oh, great. A welcoming party," he muttered sarcastically, retrieving his blaster from its holster and pointing it at the pair.

She taller man glared at them. "This is our elevator, and you have to pay us to use it!"

"Yes, five credits!" the shorter of the two chimed in, standing close to the first man. The two looked similar, and Aminta soon came to the conclusion that they were brothers. They were dressed in worn, dirt caked rags that looked as though they hadn't seen a bar of soap since they were made, and they huddled close to each other for warmth.

"Why?" she demanded coldly, crossing her arms over her chest and glaring at them.

"You live in a world where there is light, where darkness isn't constant and cold ever present. Down in the under city, nothing but small fires ever warm us. We are rejected and scorned where you are embraced and accepted. For this, we charge you credits, so that you who are so privileged can contribute to we who are so poor!" The words that the taller brother spat out were filled with bitterness.

"I wouldn't exactly call us embraced and accepted," she shared a look with Carth. "And we certainly haven't been welcomed down here."

"Just pay the toll!" the younger of the two exclaimed, and Aminta's hand hovered dangerously close to her vibroblade.

At last second, she grudgingly dug into her purse and tossed them a five credit chip. "There's your freaking toll," she muttered.

The two men stared in wonder at the credits that the small young woman had dropped into their grasp. "Credits! We have credits my brother!" The younger of the two squealed, as he fingered one with reverence.

"Shut up, or we'll have the whole community breathing down our necks!" The older hissed, and stuffed the credits into his pocket, taking his brother's arm and dragging away from the elevator.

"Pathetic," she mumbled under her breath, turning to face Carth. He frowned and stared at her, causing her to raise up her hands. "What? Do you have a problem."

Carth smiled after a few seconds. "No. I'm just realizing that there's more to you than you let on."

Aminta grimaced. _If he gets this worked up over five credits, I wonder what he'd think about me giving that stupid waitress one hundred credit chips?_ She shuddered at the thought, and decided that he would never find out. Who knew what kind of saint he'd make her out to be then? "Whatever flyboy," she muttered as she trudged through the slime towards the sewers.

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Argh! Writer's block. I hate it. Anyway, here's the next chapter, I hope you enjoyed it. Please review!


	8. Chapter 8

"Congratulations, flyboy! You've gone and gotten us lost," Aminta muttered as she crossed her arms over her chest. Carth only increased his pace.

"Look, Ami, we are definitely not lost!" he exclaimed as he glanced around and looked down at the schematics that he had punched into his datapad.

Aminta rolled her eyes. "We've passed that hut about six times already. Maybe we should just ask somebody where the gates are."

"We. Are. Not. Lost." Carth said slowly, glaring Aminta down.

"Yes. We. Are." she replied, her hands on her hips. "Just turn your sorry arse around, and ask somebody for directions."

"No!" Carth exclaimed as he walked in the opposite direction. Aminta let out a frustrated sigh, and looked down at the ground to see the button that had popped off of Carth's jacket earlier that evening. They were definitely going in circles.

"Is this proof enough?" she asked, holding it up in the air.

Carth stared at her button, then at his jacket, and back again. "Nope. One of the outcasts must have brought it over here," he insisted stubbornly as he snatched it out of her grasp.

"What is it with men and directions?" Aminta grumbled as she went to follow Carth again. She paused suddenly, and turned in the opposite direction. "I bet you one hundred credits that if I go a different way, I'll make it to the gates before you do."

"That is the dumbest thing I have ever heard of," Carth replied with a shake of his head as he continued walking.

"What? Are you afraid to lose?" she mocked.

"No. I just know you'll get into way too much trouble if I'm not around to restrain you," Carth risked a glance back over his shoulder, and saw Aminta throw a substantially sized stone at his head. He sidestepped it and turned with a smile. "See what I mean?"

"I am perfectly capable of handling myself, thank you very much!" Aminta retorted. "Oh, and by the way, I missed on purpose."

"Of course you did," Carth muttered under his breath and turned away. "Look, I don't care if you come with me or if you go off on your own."

"Fine!" Aminta turned on her heel and stalked off in the opposite direction. "But the bet is still on!" She exclaimed over her shoulder.

"You know what? I'll _give_ you the hundred credits if you manage to keep yourself out of trouble when I'm not around."

Aminta didn't give any indication that she'd heard him; she just rounded the corner as quickly as she had walked away from him. _Blasted pilots! Paranoid, overzealous, idiotic, parasites that want nothing more than to… _"Umph!" Aminta collided with one of the outcasts, and fell back into the dirt.

The outcast straightened quickly, and offered a hand up to Aminta. "I am so sorry, upworlder! I wasn't watching where I was going."

Aminta ignored the hand offered to her. _Why is it that everyone thinks I need a hand up? I can handle myself! _"It's fine…" she grumbled.

"Shaleena," the woman supplied, shaking Aminta's hand.

Aminta suppressed the urge to yank her hand away from Shaleena's grimy fingers. "Aminta," she said brusquely. "Normally, I'd say that I was pleased to meet you, but I wound up in the dirt, so the meeting really isn't all that pleasant.

Shaleena winced. "I'm sorry about that. Is there anything I can do to make it up to you?" she asked softly, looking down.

Despite herself, Aminta felt sorry for the woman. _Ami, you're going soft. _She brushed her feeling of disgust away and bit the inside of her cheek. "You could tell me where the gates are," Aminta offered, glancing around.

"Of course!" Shaleena exclaimed eagerly, and went to grab Aminta's hand. When Aminta pulled herself away, Shaleena blushed. "You must forgive me. I've never spoken to an upworlder before," she explained looking down.

Aminta raised her hands in the air. "Don't beat yourself up about it," she muttered and glanced up at the girl. "You were telling me where the gates were," she prompted, and Shaleena looked up again with a grin.

"Right. You just walk this way for a ways, until you reach Rukil Wrinkle skin's tent, and then you make a left. You should be able to see them by then."

"Rukil Wrinkle skin?" Aminta cocked an eyebrow.

Shaleena blushed. "That's what the children call him because he's covered in wrinkles. He's the oldest man down here!" she whispered in reverence. "He tells the children stories. You'll know his tent because it will be surrounded by people."

Aminta nodded. "Got it. Thanks." Aminta turned away and headed in the direction that Shaleena had instructed her.

"Wait!" Shaleena exclaimed, and when Aminta turned around she lowered her head. "Will you please…" she trailed off, and stared at her worn boot, embarrassed.

"What?" Aminta crossed her arms and tapped her foot impatiently.

"Will you please tell me what the sky looks like?"

Aminta stared at the woman for a few seconds before nodding. "The sky here on Taris is blue; so bright a blue that it hurts your eyes when you look up at it for too long. When the suns rise or set, it turns shades of pink and orange. It's considered very romantic. At night, it is as black as it is down here, except stars are shining."

Shaleena nodded slowly. "I don't quite understand… but thank you anyway for trying."

Aminta shrugged her shoulders and walked away, leaving the image of the young woman far behind her. As it turned out, Shaleena's directions were fairly easy to follow, and Aminta breathed grinned. _There is no way that Onasi'll get there before me, and I haven't gotten into trouble. That bet was the easiest…_ her gloating was cut off abruptly when she heard screams coming from the direction of the gates.

Curious, Aminta drew closer, pushing the axiom of "curiosity killed the cathar" to the back of her mind. "Open the gates!" a woman demanded as she latched onto the arm of what appeared to be the gatekeeper.

The gate keeper turned his head so that he was looking at the ground rather than at the woman before him. "I can't, you know that. It is better for him to die than for all of us to become infected."

"How can you say that?" The woman demanded, choking back a sob. "You have to open the gates if he gets here! You have to!" she cried, as she clung to the man's rags.

The gate keeper stepped away from her. "He's as good as gone, and you might as well accept that," he replied coldly. "Besides, you're a pretty girl. I'm sure there is someone else who will catch your eye." His face was emotionless. Aminta guessed that he had seen this sort of scene far too often for him to be moved by it any longer. In all honesty, she could understand his reasoning - the one for the many. It was a tactic that she would use herself if forced into the matter.

The woman ripped her gaze away from the gate-keeper and turned back towards the man. "Hurry, Hendar! Please, please run faster!" she begged, and frantically whirled around, as though looking for someone to save her. Her eyes seemed to latch onto Aminta's form in the darkness.

"Shavit," Aminta grumbled under her breath, and debated whether or not she should stay hidden in the shadows until the trouble passed. Unfortunately, the woman at the gate had indeed caught sight of her.

"Upworlder!" she cried out, her dirty face tear-streaked. Aminta made a noise in the back of her throat as she reluctantly came out into the open. Before Aminta could open her mouth, the woman was on her knees before her. "Please! I'm begging you to help him!" she exclaimed as she pointed towards the gate.

Aminta resisted the urge to draw back from the filth and vermin encrusted woman, and made a point to keep her hand away from her vibroblade. She stared coldly down at the woman for a few precious seconds before sighing in resignation. "Damn idiots seem to think I'm here to rescue all of them from the drudgery of their lives," she muttered under her breath as she pulled her vibroblades from their sheathes. If the woman heard her comment, she didn't show it.

Aminta snapped at the gatekeeper. "You there, open this pile of junk that you call a gate."

The guard stared at her. "Look, Miss, you're not from around here and…"

"Just open the damn gate!"

"Miss…" the older man attempted to caution her, but she brushed his concern aside.

"Do it before I do it myself," she muttered darkly, glaring at him. _You have gone way too soft Ami! Way too soft! And now, you're going to get yourself killed. You are an absolute idiot. _She chastised herself as the gatekeeper hastened to comply with her command.

The gates creaked open a fraction, but the space was wide enough for Aminta's slight body to slide through. She set herself into a battle stance as she adjusted the weight of the vibroblades so that she was comfortable. All of a sudden, Aminta realized that Carth would equate this to being in trouble, and thus she wouldn't be receiving the hundred credits. "Shavit!" she exclaimed, cursing herself.

The man called Hendar ran past her and began beating his fists against the gate. Aminta turned her head to watch him, and rolled her eyes. "Wimp," she muttered and readied herself for the attack.

The rackghoul ran at her, and Aminta involuntarily drew back at the sight of the creature. It was all that Guam had told her and more. _Apparently fairy-tale monsters do exist, _she thought as she charged at the beast.

From all that she'd heard about them, she had thought the beast would be hard to kill. However, with one swing of her blade, the creature's head went flying from its body. Aminta stood still for a moment after killing the creature, and then shook her head, wiping her palms on her leggings. "Well, that was easy."

She turned to face the gates again, and saw that a small crowd had gathered. Hendar and the woman were strangely absent, and Aminta crossed her arms over her chest, fuming. "I didn't even get a thank you?" she demanded to no one in particular.

Several members of the crowd took a step back and eyed each other quizzically. One brave soul waved his hand and called out timidly, "Thank you!"

Aminta groaned and turned on him. "Not from you! From… Oh, never mind!" she exclaimed, pushing her way out of the crowd, and running into a very familiar person. "Get out of my way," she grumbled, raising her vibroblade.

Carth caught her wrist with a wry smile. "I told you that you'd get yourself in trouble if I wasn't around."

Aminta yanked herself away from him and thrust the blade back into its sheath. "I don't want to hear it," she ground out, crossing her arms over her chest.

Carth wisely decided not to tease her about the lost bet. "Come on, beautiful. Let's get to the sewers," he said instead, and Aminta allowed herself to smile slightly. But only slightly… she was still pretty ticked off.

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They couldn't have looked too hard to find the sewers, for several minutes into the search, a hysterical streak of blue interrupted them. A sobbing, shaking Mission nearly smacked into Aminta before grabbing the older woman's arms in her hands, and begging her for help.

Aminta bit back the urge to curse whatever gods there were, choosing instead to grab hold of the girl's shoulders. "Calm down! At this rate, you're going to bawl your eyes out!" she exclaimed, dragging the girl over to a boulder and promptly sitting her down.

Mission's dark eyes were awash with tears, and her head-tails were wrapped around her shoulders in fear. "No one will help me, not even the Beks will help me! Please, will you help?" the girl managed, her entire body shaking. Her skin was cold to the touch, and Aminta shivered at the contact.

"I can't help you if I don't know what's wrong," Aminta replied in what she hoped was a soothing tone, but she knew her frustration was evident. Normally, she would have been able to comfort a kid, but after a day like today…

Mission finally calmed down enough to speak coherently. "They've got Big Z!" she managed before breaking down into hysterics again. Aminta stifled an impatient sigh and looked to Carth for help. Not that she would admit that she couldn't handle things herself.

Carth stepped in. "Who has Big Z?" he asked in a gentle, paternal tone, though curious as to who could manage to overpower a mighty Wookie. Aminta was slightly surprised at the calm that the sound of is voice brought, but then realized that she should have expected it. Although she was loath to admit it, it was his voice that had lulled her back to sleep after several of her more painful nightmares.

Mission wiped her eyes so that her vision wasn't clouded any longer, and looked between the two adults. "Gammorean slavers!" she managed through her sobs, before resting her head on Aminta's shoulder. Aminta looked up over the girl's head to Carth, who gave her a re-assuring smile. _If I can handle one of those damned legendary rackghouls, I can handle a stressed teenager. _

"Look, I'll help you get your friend back, but I need to know what happened, alright?" Aminta hoped that she didn't sound too condescending. It was a feat to talk with a teenager; they were still kids, but no longer children. Gods know they could get insulted far too easily.

Mission crossed her arms over her chest to stop her shuddering, and nodded at Aminta. She took a few seconds to compose herself, and then launched into her tale, sniveling occasionally. "Me and Big Z were just hanging in the sewers, like we always do, you know?" She paused for a moment, wiping her nose with the back of her hand before continuing, "Out of nowhere, all of these Gammoreans charged us. One had me, but big Z tore his arm off, and roared at me to run. So I ran, as fast as I could. There must have been twenty of those hideous pigs down there. Big Z wouldn't stand a chance." Her terror and tears suddenly morphed into anger, and her eyes flashed as her head tails whipped around. "Those things piss me off so bad that I…"

Carth was relieved that the teenager was finally out of the state that she had worked herself into, but he winced when he heard her curse. "A kid like you shouldn't be talking like that," he reprimanded.

Mission quickly turned her rage on him. "Hey, I ain't no kid, and you ain't my father, though you're sure old enough to be!" she shouted, her head tails curling as she steamed. "Now, why don't you be a good geezer and nod off or something, or better yet, you can go and fu…"

As amusing as it was, Aminta cut the girl off. "Not that I don't agree, but I think Carth would have a heart attack if you were to finish that sentence," she spared the older man a sly smile. Carth crossed his arms over his chest and shook his head. He had long since accepted the fact that Aminta was her own person, and had determined that he'd leave her to do whatever it was that she wanted to. She got too difficult to deal with otherwise. As if to secure that belief, Aminta looked up at Carth, and smirked at him over the girl's head, mouthing the word geezer. Carth rolled his eyes, and shook his head.

Aminta choked back a laugh, and turned her attention back to Mission. "Carth and I will help you find Zalbaar, but after we find him, you're going to need to do us a favor in return."

Mission bristled. _No one can ever do anything for free, can they?_ "What do you need?"

Aminta bit her lip when she heard how cold the girl's voice had gotten. "Remember how we told you about our friend?" Aminta asked. At Mission's nod, she continued, "Well, the Vulkars have her as a slave just like the Gammoreans have Zalbaar as a slave. We need your help to break into the Vulkar base so we can get something for the Beks that will allow us to compete in the swoop race and win her."

Mission took the discreet bait that Aminta had dangled. "Just like how I need your help to get to Big Z." she said, and nodded. "Fine. I'll get you into the base if you help me bust Big Z out!" she took a business like tone as she stuck out a hand, looking back and forth between Aminta and Carth.

It was all Carth could do not to glare at the girl; her previous comment had stung. _I am not that old! Alright, at thirty eight you're not exactly a spring chicken anymore, but I'm definitely not old enough to be a geezer!_ He managed a slight smile at the teenager but it came out more like a grimace.

Aminta spared him a glance and shook her head. "Deal," she replied as she shook the teen's hand.

Carth crossed his arms over his chest, and cleared his throat. "Shouldn't we head to the sewers before the rackghouls make lunch out of us?" he asked pointedly.

Aminta stood, and gave Mission a hand up. "I think that the geezer is telling us we need to get out butts in gear," Aminta told Mission with a laugh, giving Carth a positively wicked grin.

Mission laughed with Aminta when she saw how red Carth's face was getting. "I think the old man is angry. Should we do what he asked us to do and make him feel better?"

Aminta put her index finger to her chin in mock thought. "Hmmm…"

Carth broke into their fun. "Couldn't you make fun of that rock over there or something?"

"Yes, I'm sure it has much more personality than you do, wouldn't you agree Mission?" Aminta responded quickly. She wasn't known as the comeback queen in her circle for nothing.

"Ha-ha, real mature," Carth said sarcastically. "You guys are both scoundrels; can't you find something slightly more interesting to talk about?" He asked, fingering his blaster. _What I'd do if I wasn't such a kind man…_ he stopped the thought, but his hand remained on his blaster. When either of the female species asked why his hand was there, he would just tell them that he was waiting for rackghouls.

Several minutes later, Carth had begun to wish that he hadn't asked them to find something more interesting. He trailed behind the two girls, and tried not to listen to their tales, some of which that could make a Gammorean's ears burn. Aminta's small hands were making exaggerating gestures as she spoke, her face lit up and animated in an honest way that he'd never seen on her before.

Mission was eagerly listening to the story that the older woman was telling…something about swiping a substantial amount of credits from a high ranking official after crawling out of his bed. Carth winced. He would have told Aminta to find a more appropriate topic to speak of around the teenager, but Mission had been telling a story about how she snuck into a joy girl's back room to make a swipe off of some unsuspecting fellow just moments before Aminta had spun her tale. He decided that he would allow the two women to corrupt each other, and not to get involved.

Aminta, however, was thoroughly enjoying herself. She doubted that Carth would have listened to her tales with as much enthusiasm as Mission was. In fact, she knew it. She grinned broadly as she spoke, taking in Mission's appearance. The girl's head tails were twitching with excitement, a grin making her youthful, pretty face absolutely gorgeous. _She reminds me a lot of myself when I was her age_, Aminta thought. _Sounds like she's just about as mischievous as I was too._

Aminta paused mid-story when she saw a man over in a far corner, running around while tearing at his hair. She pulled a blaster from its holster, and handed it to Mission. "You might need this," she said quietly, all traces of mirth vanished.

Mission pushed the blaster away, and pulled out two of her own. "I swiped these from a very rude Sith, I don't think he'll mind too much if I make good use of them."

Aminta gave Mission a wry grin. "Well, you can never say that a Sith doesn't come in handy…on occasion. You'll have to tell me the story of how you got those a little later." She drew her vibroblades, and looked back at Carth, who had forsaken his precious blasters for his melee. She swallowed, and then advanced to the man.

When they neared him, Aminta held up her hand for Mission to stay put. "Hey, I ain't no kid! I can handle him as well as you can!" the girl exclaimed indignantly.

"Look, Carth and I are going at close combat range. We need you to stay behind so you can attack long distance, in case anything happens." Aminta told Mission in an attempt to pacify her.

Mission didn't look convinced, but nodded grudgingly. "Be careful," she told the pair heading forward, and stayed obediently where Aminta told her to.

Once they were out of hearing, Carth turned to Aminta. "You know how to handle her," he acknowledged with a slight smile.

Aminta shrugged. "I was just like her. I'm just treating her how I would have wanted to be treated when I was her age."

"Which wasn't really that long ago," Carth said quietly, reminding himself that she was a mere child compared to him. Somehow, when he reminded himself of their age difference, it was easier not to see her as a woman. And somehow, that made their relationship so much easier.

"Eleven years is a long time," Aminta said, slightly angered that he was treating her as a child. Her hands gripped the sword until her knuckles turned white. "I'm not a child, Carth." she ground out, trying to sound as civil as possible.

Carth winced at her tone. "I know that…It's just…erm, it's easier for you to understand her than me. There's a twenty-four year age difference between Mission and I, you know." He considered that a very good cover-up.

Aminta arched a brow, but said nothing. She turned her attention from Carth to the man before them. "I think that he's infected," she murmured softly.

Carth whipped his head around to stare at her. "Than why are we approaching him?" he demanded in a harsh whisper. Aminta said nothing, just grimly pressed her lips into a thin line and walked closer to the man.

The man looked up at them as they neared, his eyes glazed, and body broken out with sweat from fever. He cradled his head in his hands, and shouted out unintelligible bouts of gibberish. "I can feel it, it's in my head!" he screamed, those being the first words that the pair who approached him could understand. Then, he leaned over, and gave a fitful bout of coughing, blood bubbling from his throat and covering the ground beneath him. But the blood wasn't red…it was green. Aminta winced, and covered her mouth with her hand, choking back the bile that she could feel rising in her throat. The man rose from his crouched position before doubling over in agony, holding his stomach with his hands. He screamed louder, and the scream suddenly became twisted. _Like the scream from my dream _, Aminta thought, the hair at the back of her neck standing on end.

As his demented scream ripped from his gut, his body twisted and contorted, the pores of his skin secreting a slimy grey substance, all of the hair on his body falling from their follicles. His lips, nose, and eyes were pulled into his face so that he was featureless, before jutting back out in the form of eight eyes, and a demented snout. His teeth grew out until they were fangs, slicing his own tongue in two. The man's screams of agony were replaced by a beastly growl, and he charged.

"Mission!" Aminta barked as she readied her weapons. Blaster bolts shot above her head, and entered the warped body of the rackghoul, distracting him enough for Carth to give a deathblow to the creature's chest, and Aminta room to leap up and decapitate him. The creature fell to the ground with a sickening thud, and Aminta was silent for a few minutes.

"Aminta?" Carth gently rested a hand on her shoulder, and looked down at the slight woman, concerned. Mission had run down the hill and over to them, glancing down at the rackghoul that she had helped to kill.

The girl winced, and turned her head. "Gross," she whispered.

At Mission's arrival, Aminta seemed to wake up. She clapped a hand over her mouth, and ran a short distance away from her two companions, doubling over and retching onto the dirt. She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, and tried to erase the image of the turn that was burned into her mind. She closed her eyes, and concentrated on breathing. When she opened her eyes, both Carth and Mission were standing close to her, worry etched onto their faces.

Aminta cleared her throat, and laughed weakly. "I never thought that I would be the one to get squeamish," she said, trying for levity. Her attempt was rewarded by slight smiles on the faces of her companions, and they both stepped away to allow her breathing room. "So, Mission, are we close to the sewers yet?" Aminta asked, quickly changing the subject.

Mission nodded. "That's the entrance right over there," she said, motioning to a rust covered round door. Aminta could only imagine the stench that awaited them within.

"Well, let's get going, shall we?" she asked, wiped off her vibroblades, and hurried to the door. Carth and Mission shared a look, and followed quickly. Carth caught up with the woman first, and Mission wisely trailed behind to allow them to talk.

"Are you okay?" Carth asked, resting a gentle hand on her arm. She didn't look well, despite her attempt to assure them that all was fine. Her face was white, her blue eyes clouded. Aminta jerked her arm away from his grasp.

"I'm just peachy," she ground out, stalking away from him. Carth made a noise in the back of his throat, and with his long legs, he easily caught up to her.

"No, you're not."

"Yes I am," she muttered, attempting to escape him.

"No."

"Yes!"

"No!

"Ye-" Aminta cut herself off. "Well this is just childish!" she exclaimed, throwing her hands up into the air.

"Just tell me what's bothering you!"

"Fine!" Aminta practically shouted at him. "You really want to know? It's because being weak like that makes me feel helpless, and when I feel helpless, I'm reminded of my past. Okay? And I don't like thinking about it!"

"What exactly happened to you?" he murmured, glancing her over slowly.

Aminta swallowed hard and looked away. "Only a handful of people knew, and they're all dead. I'm not too keen on telling anyone else about it," she replied coldly, although she was willing herself not to break down. _Don't you dare start! Weak, helpless, idiotic, senseless moron! _Aminta chastised herself, and started when Carth put an arm around her shoulders.

"That doesn't scare me much, but I will wait for a more appropriate time to ask you about it."

Aminta surprised the pair of them by leaning against him. "Thanks," she told him softly, resting her head on his shoulder.

Carth was taken aback by her physical response to his encouragement, but tried not to let it show in his voice. "For what?"

"For being you," she murmured with a slight smile before lightly cuffing the back of his head. "Even though you're as annoying as hell on occasion."

Mission broke into their conversation. "Okay, lovebirds. We're at the sewers already, you kind of need to stop walking now," the teenager called out from behind them.

"Shove it," Aminta threw back over her shoulder and threw a grin at Carth. "So, you're a geezer, and we're an item. I'm not sure whether to give the girl a hug or to strangle her."

Mission rolled her eyes as she pulled open the door. She didn't even wince as the stench rose up to meet the trio, for she had lived half of her young life exploring the myriad tunnels of the sewers, and had become accustomed to the smell. Aminta and Carth, however, gagged and held their noses with their hands. Mission giggled. "Come on, don't be pansies. We're going to rescue Zalbaar," she said as she climbed down the rusted ladder.

Aminta watched Mission descend, and when it was her turn, she winced as she gripped the slime and rust coated handles. "I've made up my mind; I'm going to strangle her," she muttered as she too descended into the haze of smog and stench.

Carth groaned as he went in after her, mumbling something about thinking that his sewer-crawling days were over after he'd been promoted to Captain.

————————————————-

Carth groaned. "Not more rackghouls!" he moaned as the entered a large chamber, where three rackghouls picked at a corpse. Aminta was ahead of him, and she shook her head at his frustration as Mission laughed.

Choosing to ignore them, he pulled out his melee, and rushed into battle with Aminta, hoping that Mission had his back with her blasters. The thought of a teenager shooting a target so close to him unnerved him more that just a little. As though she could sense his thoughts, Aminta smirked at him as she struck a deathblow to the rackghoul she was fighting and turned to another. "Mission's capable. She won't hit you," she then decapitated the rackghoul that she and Carth had been fighting together.

Relieved of his burden, Carth sheathed his blades and turned to her. "How did you know that?" he asked, perplexed.

"Onasi, you can read your face like you'd read a data book," she replied dryly as she sheathed her own blades.

"And you're impossible to read," he retorted, and Aminta grinned.

"You say that like it's a bad thing," she muttered and then turned towards Mission before Carth could reply. "So, where are these Gammoreans hiding out?"

Mission shuddered. "They caught me and Big Z down that hallway over there," she gestured.

Aminta looked where Mission pointed and gave a little nod. "My guess is that they were probably a little farther down that hallway, and they heard you guys. Somehow, I don't think that they were smart enough to ambush you."

Mission shoved her blasters into their holsters and muttered something in a foreign language. Aminta grinned at the girl and then glanced over at Carth, who was attempting to decipher what the twi'lek had said.

"Gammoreans are worthless, mindless pigs," Aminta translated for him. "Except add a twi'lek curse between every word."

Carth shook his head in an attempt to hide his amusement. "So, the game plan is to search all of the rooms from where Mission was attacked northward?"

Aminta shifted her weight to her other foot and crossed her arms over her chest. "Something tells me that they're going to have a few guards posted outside the right door. It should be easy enough to find them."

"A gut feeling?" Carth asked.

Aminta nodded curtly, and Carth drew his blades as he headed in that direction. He had learned to trust Aminta's instincts. Eerily, they always turned out to be right.

Mission glanced at Aminta, who gave the girl a slight smile before drawing her own blades and following close behind Carth. Just as they were turning around the corner, a Gammorean charged at them. Before Aminta or Carth lifted their blades, the pig-man fell down dead.

Surprised, Aminta stepped over his bulk, and glanced down to see a hole directly between his eyes. Carth's eyes went wide as he shared a glance with Aminta. "I told you that she was capable," Aminta informed him with a self satisfied smirk.

Mission grinned at them, and then stepped past the pair. "Are we gonna get big Z or are we gonna make bacon out of this corpse?" she asked, pointing at the dead Gammorean with her blaster.

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Well, thanks for reading, and please leave a review. It makes me so happy…


	9. Chapter 9

A roomful of Gammoreans later, Aminta tried in vain to unlock the inner sewer door. "I've picked locks on doors all over the galaxy, from the richest of mansions to the stim addict's hideout, and I've never seen one like this before!" she exclaimed, kicking the door in frustration.

"Aren't you lucky that you have me then?" Mission asked, a sly grin lighting on her face as she set to work on the lock that Aminta had moved away from. "I ran into locks like these a few times while exploring these tunnels. It took me a few weeks to figure out how to get them open the first time, but these old things aren't too hard to pick once you get the hang of it."

Aminta's eyes widened with wonder as the lock clicked, and the doors began to slide open. "You're going to teach me how to do that," she said with a low whistle.

"So long as you can teach me a few of the tricks that you have up your sleeve."

The door opened enough for Mission to squeeze through, and the girl did just that once she caught sight of her Wookie friend on the other side. "Zalbaar!" she exclaimed, as she ran and threw herself into the Wookie's furry embrace.

":Mission, what are you doing here? I thought I told you to leave…You could have been hurt:" Zalbaar exclaimed.

"Aw, Big Z! Don't treat me like I'm a baby. Besides, a friend helped me! Zalbaar, this is my new pal, Aminta Jae." she said, gesturing towards Aminta.

Zalbaar looked the tiny human female over, vowing to reserve judgment until he saw more than merely her appearance. ":I thank you, human, more than I can ever express for helping Mission, and saving my life.:" he growled.

"Big Z says that…" Mission began, but Aminta cut her off by speaking in Wookie, a feat that should have been physically impossible.

":You are welcome, Zalbaar.:" she growled back, drawing shocked stares from both Mission and Carth.

":You speak my tongue:" Zalbaar exclaimed, his opinion of the slight woman raising a notch. ":Very few humans are ever able to master the language of my people.:" he said, impressed.

Aminta grinned and placed her hands on her hips. ":Yeah, well, that's what you get for staying a few months on Kashyyk.:"

Zalbaar stared at her, before lowering himself to one knee. ":You have saved my life. In gratitude for what you have done for me, I swear to you a life debt.:"

Mission gaped at her friend. "A life debt? Come on Big Z! You can't be serious. This is huge, and you don't even know her…"

":I know that she saved my life, and helped you reach me when no one else would. That tells me enough about her character for me to put my life in her hands.:" Zalbaar told his young friend.

"A life debt?" Carth asked, knitting his brows together. "Isn't that some kind of self induced slavery?"

Aminta shook her head. "Not quite. He has sworn to honor me all of the days of his life, and to protect me from any and all harm. It is a Wookie custom to do such a thing to show deep, heartfelt gratitude for a great service that you have done to them," Aminta then turned to Zalbaar. ":I accept your life debt, and in turn, I promise you that I will honor you and your wishes:" she said with a little bow.

Carth gaped. Aminta Jae, smuggler extraordinaire, was the last person that he would ever expect to willingly take on something so serious. He'd assumed she wouldn't want the liability, especially with all of the risks that she took. But then, on second thought, maybe it would be good to have a Wookie around for precisely that reason.

Mission put her hands on her hips, and stepped close to Zalbaar. "I go where he goes, so it looks like you're stuck with me too," she exclaimed, daring them to defy her demand.

Aminta grinned. "It's good to have you aboard, Mission." She turned to Zalbaar. ":It is good to have you with us as well:" she told him with a slightly larger smile.

Mission grinned back at Aminta. "So, it looks like I have to get my end of the deal done now, huh? Well, all we have to do is get to the Eastern end of the upper Sewers, get past that nasty old rancor, and…"

"Whoa, girl! Take it back a few steps there!" Carth broke in. "You never said anything about a rancor!" he exclaimed angrily.

"I didn't?" Mission asked, her eyes wide with feigned innocence.

Aminta ran a hand over her face. "This sounds like fun," she muttered, and glared at Mission briefly. "Although a rancor definitely wasn't in the game plan."

Mission quickly put her hands up in the air to stop a verbal assault. "It might not even be there anymore. I mean, it has been a long time," she said with a nervous chuckle. Carth was silent, but continued to glare at her. "Anyway, like I said, the entrance is somewhere in the Western end of the upper sewers."

Carth strove to count to ten, but his control broke at five. "Earlier you said it was the Eastern end. Now you're saying Western. Which one is it?"

"Ummm…One of the two?" Mission shrugged, and inched closer to Aminta and Zalbaar.

Carth took a deep breath. _May all of the gods in all of the galaxies help me! There's two of them!_

After much deliberation, and quite a few outbursts of anger and disagreement, Aminta, Carth, Mission, and Zalbaar decided to go east once they reached the Upper Sewers. Zalbaar had reasoned that since it was the first direction Mission had said, and Aminta backed it up by saying that she had a gut feeling on the matter. Carth was getting sick of her being right, but knew better than argue. Mission, for the most part, had put in her mouthful whenever anyone questioned her.

And so they had set off due east, with Mission guiding them in the front and Zalbaar protecting their rear. Apparently, Mission and Aminta had decided to take the time to become even better acquainted with each other's stories, and Carth decided to try and talk to the Wookie rather than risk hearing something that he'd have rather not known. Such as what they were speaking of at the moment: Why females weren't attracted to Rodian males.

The teenager frowned as she studied the walls, abandoning the topic until a later time. "Hey, I recognize this place," she informed the trio who were now giving her their full attention.

"I don't see a difference in this tunnel from the last one we were in," Carth observed, glancing around. In all honesty, they did all seem the same. Each tunnel had a metal floor, and rusting pipes with the occasional leak.

Aminta frowned lightly as she studied the walls. "Actually, there is a difference. These pipes are running in a different pattern than they were in the other tunnels," she corrected him, and glanced over at Mission. "Do you think that you can lead us to the base from here?"

Mission furrowed her brow in thought, and then her face cleared, her look of concentration quickly replaced by a smile. "You betcha! It isn't far away now! I remember exactly how to get there, follow me!" She exclaimed, before dashing off.

":Mission, wait! Something could harm you if you run off by yourself:" Zalbaar called after her.

"Well then, you'd better hurry up so that you can protect me, huh Big Z?" The girl answered over her shoulder, and Zalbaar hastened to catch up with the quick twi'lek.

Carth and Aminta burst out laughing, and Carth slung his arm back over Aminta's shoulders. Surprisingly, she didn't pull away at the contact. "Should we follow the kids again?" he asked with a broad grin.

"I think that we're going to have to run to keep up with them," Aminta replied dryly.

———————————————

"If the smell is any indication, I think that we've found our Rancor," Aminta choked out as she covered her mouth and nose with her hand. Similar reactions from her companions let her know that she wasn't the only one to be troubled by the smell. Why, even Mission looked a bit green.

"Yeah," gasped the teenager as she struggled to breathe past the stench, "We are definitely in the right place. Me and Big Z would never be able to forget how much one stinks. Zalbaar growled his agreement, and Aminta was amused to no end that a giant Wookiee could be overpowered by just the stench of a rancor.

Carth was the first to recover…well, somewhat, his skin was still tinged a sickly green color. "So, how do we get past this thing?" he asked, peeking out into the cavernous room. When he saw the pile of rotting corpses and bones, the green pallor of his skin deepened a few shades.

Mission chewed on her lower lip. "I've snuck past him a few times by using a stealth generator, but Big Z doesn't have that skill."

"Neither do I."

"I do," Aminta said, frowning in concentration. "Mission and I could sneak through to the base, and…"

"No! There is absolutely no way that I'm going to wait in this sewer and pace around while you're up there doing the dirty work!" Carth exclaimed, butting in to what she had been saying.

Aminta impatiently brushed a lock of stray hair back from her face. "You got a better idea, flyboy? If you have a better idea, I am most certain that I would be glad to hear it." Carth was tempted to argue with her, but then thought better of it when he glanced over to the Wookiee standing beside her…the Wookiee that owed her a lifedebt.

Carth was silent for a few moments, thinking. His hand strayed past a bulge in his pocket several times before it came to his attention. When it finally did, he pulled out a plasma grenade. He looked at Aminta and raised an eyebrow, and her face promptly broke out into a grin.

"You know, flyboy, you do occasionally have your uses." She pulled out a concussion grenade, and several frag grenades, along with a few more miscellaneous items. Carth wondered how she could fit so many weapons onto her person. "Now that was a good idea," she told him, her grin broadening. "Mission, Zalbaar, do either of you have any grenades?" She asked as she continued to dig through her pockets, finding a poison grenade.

"Geesh, Ami! You are a regular walking bomb!" Mission exclaimed when she saw the pile of grenades that Aminta had pulled from hidden pockets all over her body. Aminta laughed at the girl, and dug around through her pockets for more. Mission then reached into her own vest and pulled out two more grenades, and Zalbaar did the same, coming up with three.

Aminta knelt to the ground, and counted the pile. "Do you think fifteen grenades are going to be enough to get him down?" she asked as she pushed herself off of the floor. The standing trio looked incredulously down at the pile, and then back to Aminta. Somehow, the slight woman had managed to fit eight grenades in the hidden pockets of her amour.

"Definitely," Carth told her, looking back at the pile. "So, what's the game plan?" He asked, turning to face Aminta.

_When did I become the leader of this operation? _Aminta wondered, trying to ignore the stab of annoyance that the thought brought her. _It must be my sweet and charming personality,_ she mused sarcastically.

Aloud she said, "I'm going to go in the rancor's den and throw the grenades at the thing. It'll be as easy as getting a green Deralian boy drunk on Tarisian ale."

"Is it true that Deralians can't hold their ale?" Mission cut in. It was so like the girl to pick up on the least important statement in a sentence.

"Nope. Not at all. We actually hold our ale better than most. I honestly have no idea where that expression came from," she confessed with a slight smirk. "Anyone have any objections to the plan?" she asked, quickly changing the subject.

"What makes you think that you can go in there alone?" Carth asked, obviously worried. Secretly, he was also slightly angry with himself for caring about whether the rancor wanted to use her as a chew toy or not.

Aminta rolled her eyes, but smiled at him. "Because whoever goes in there needs to do it in stealth. Only two of us here have that skill, and no offense, but you'd just be a hindrance. Unless of course you wanted to be the bait. Then you would be useful. Of course, I couldn't guarantee your well being…" Carth paled a little, and Aminta laughed. "And I'm a better candidate than Mission because I've had plenty of grenade target practice, and I'm faster." Carth still didn't look too pleased.

Aminta rolled her eyes, grabbed a handful of grenades, and ran into the rancor den before Carth could objects further.

Six explosions sounded, each followed by a particularly nasty roar and heavy footsteps that made the trio still waiting in the hallway shake with the impact. Aminta came running in after the sixth one, breathing heavily, and wiping a stray lock of hair back from her face. She put her hands on her knees, and bent over to catch her breath. When she finally could breather normally again, she let out a little laugh. "That damn rancor is more stubborn than I thought! He's giving me a workout out there."

"I'll take over for you!" Mission eagerly volunteered, reaching down to pick up a few grenades. Aminta quickly stilled the twi'lek's hand.

"I'm fine, Mission. Just needed to catch my breath. He'll be down in the next couple of shots," she assured the teenager before grabbing a few more grenades, and running back out. Once back in the Rancor den, Aminta considered her next move. She wasn't having mush luck with the hit and run tactic, and she couldn't think of another way to kill it.

The rancor roared, and charged at her. Suddenly, an idea struck Aminta, and she decided to go along with it. She didn't move from her position as it got neared her; rather, she firmly planted her feet and stood her ground.

Once it was less than five feet away from her, Aminta aimed at the creature's mouth and threw the grenade. The rancor stood still for a second as the explosion sounded, before it stumbled and fell. Aminta quickly dove out of the creature's path, rolling to break her fall. However, she didn't roll far enough, and she let out a scream as the beast fell on top of her.

Carth was the first to react, and ran out of the safety of the hallway as fast as he could. What he saw in the Rancor's den made his heart stand still. The rancor had collapsed, but Aminta was nowhere to be found. "Ami?" Carth stood quickly, and dashed over to where the rancor had fallen, searching for Aminta. _Please don't let me find a body_, he prayed to every god that he could think of. Finally, he uncovered an arm, and he had a sinking sense of familiarity, remembering the time not three years ago when he had unearthed his wife in so similar a fashion. He pulled at the seemingly lifeless arm so that more of Aminta was available to sight, finally reaching his hands under her armpits and dragging her from beneath the weight of the dead rancor's grasp.

Mission ran beside him, and stilled when she looked down at her friend. Aminta looked lifeless. Carth pulled the young woman onto his lap, and felt for a pulse, breathing out a sigh of relief when he felt one, albeit faint. He then put his head down over her mouth and nose to see if she was breathing, and he let out a little gasp when he found that she wasn't. "Her damn stubbornness is going to be the thing that killed her," he muttered under his breath as he performed CPR.

Mission stood behind him, tears running down her cheeks. "I shouldn't have let her go back out there! She was too tired! I should have gone, and made her stay behind!" she sobbed, and the sound grated on Carth's already frayed nerves.

"Shut up!" he screamed at the hysterical twi'lek before turning his attention back to Aminta. The girl was too scared to yell back at him, and she muffled the sounds of her weeping by putting her hand over her mouth. Carth immediately felt guilty, but he didn't dwell on it. Rather, he focused all of his attention on getting breath in and out of Aminta's body. Finally, she took a gasping breath on her own.

Carth didn't give her the space she needed to regain her breath, crushing her in his arms instead. He could feel her shaking against him, and he covered her mouth with his, kissing her for all that he was worth. It took a second for her to respond, but she did so eagerly, wrapping her arms about his neck tightly. When he finally drew back, she was no longer shaking, but staring up at him, her eyes wide.

Once the terror and immense relief had diminished, anger filled him. He sprung to his feet, grabbing Aminta by her forearms, and dragging her up with him. "What the hell did you think that you were doing?" He demanded.

A pale and trembling Aminta could barely speak, but she managed to begin to stammer out a reply. Carth quickly cut her off. "You could have been fracking killed! Do you like putting yourself in fracking impossible situations? You damn well should have taken Mission up on her offer!" He practically screamed at her, followed by several more choice words and curses.

Aminta finally managed to control herself, and looked up at Carth with a faint smile. "You know, you curse a lot when you're scared," she told him lightly, trying for levity.

Carth stared at her. "Scared? Scared? I was terrified! I was so terrified I nearly peed my pants!" he screamed.

Aminta chuckled and rested her forehead against Carth's, smiling slightly at his heavy breathing. "I could have gotten out of that on my own you know," she murmured, and Carth sighed sharply, the sound hurting Aminta's hear.

"Of course you could have," Carth muttered as he set her away from him. "Next time you do something that crazy woman, I swear I'm going to put you over my knee!"

Aminta smirked up at him. "Is that a promise, flyboy?"

"Aw, come on!" Mission exclaimed from across the room as she stalked over to the pair of them. "Get all lovey duvey somewhere else, will ya? When I'm not around!"

Carth flushed, and Aminta grinned at his embarrassment, deciding to push things a bit further. "Mission, if Carth and I feel like getting it on in a rancor den, we'll get it on in a rancor den."

"Aw, gross!" Mission exclaimed, and Carth flushed a deeper shade of red. Zalbaar growled out something that sounded suspiciously like a chuckle, but he turned his head when the trio turned to look.

————————————————-

Aminta swung her vibroblade around in an arc, and neatly sliced the head off of her attacker. She spared herself a glance back to see how her friends were doing. Mission was pretty good with her blasters; much better than a teenager should be. Zalbaar was handling himself wonderfully as well, not even needing his bowcaster to strike down his prey. Carth was holding up pretty well too… and he was even doing a pretty good job of keeping his face its normal shade when she walked by.

She had no time to think on Carth's embarrassment further as another Vulkar assaulted her, and she quickly gave him a deathblow to the chest. As the green twi'lek slid off of her vibroblade, an eerie quiet descended over the base.

"Lucky for us that most of the Vulkars are at their party, huh?" Mission asked, finally breaking the silence, an impish grin on her face. "They probably won't realize that this baby's missing 'till morning. And then they'll be too hung over to do anything about it!" She exclaimed as she hefted the heavy prototype engine into her arms.

Zalbaar quickly snatched it from her grasp. ":Mission! I thought I told you not to touch that! What will happen if you drop it:" He asked, protectively wrapping his furry arms around the prototype.

"Aw! Big Z! Just because I dropped that priceless crystal vase doesn't mean that I'll drop this."

":You forgot to mention the specialized computer hyperdrive, that porcelain figure you stole and dropped in the store, the…:"

"Geesh! Okay, okay, I get it! I'm not allowed to hold anything valuable!" She exclaimed, crossing her arms over her chest and pouting. After a few seconds of glaring, her eyes narrowed as she inspected Zalbaar. "Big Z, you look like you've got a bunch of tangles in your fur. You need a good brushing!"

Zalbaar stepped back, horrified. ":Mission! Wookies do not brush themselves! It is very undignified:" he exclaimed indignantly, glowering at the girl. Mission frowned and put her hand on her hips.

Aminta choked back a laugh, and covered her mouth with her hand to hide her growing smile. Carth was in a similar position, although a chuckle escaped him.

Mission and Zalbaar whirled around in unison. "Were you making fun of us, Geezer?" Mission demanded. A series of growls from Zalbaar let Carth in on what the furball was thinking. Both he and Aminta burst into laughter at this point, no longer able to control themselves.

Aminta grinned, as she stepped forward and took the twi'lek's arm. "You know, Mish, I think I could help you out with this whole brushing business. I actually happen to have a few pieces of pink satin ribbon with me. How are your braiding skills?"

Mission grinned impishly. "Pretty good, I guess, although I could always use a little practice," she said, casting a sly glance at Zalbaar. Zalbaar growled out a protest and a threat, but Aminta ignored him.

"If he objects to getting groomed when he's awake, we can always just sneak in on him when he's sleeping."

":I won't sleep for days now! And if I finally do, and find my fur braided, both of you will… Well, I'll think of something:" Zalbaar exclaimed angrily, tightening his hold on the prototype.

Mission winked at Aminta, and blithely continued. "Now, while we're in there, we should definitely brush those chompers of his. His breath is starting to smell like that rancor den that we just came through!"

"I have fresh mint, and cinnamon toothpaste. Which do you think he'd prefer?" Aminta asked playfully, both girls now casting teasing glances to Zalbaar.

":However will I manage:" Cried Zalbaar. ":I now have two Missions to deal with:"

Aminta and Mission burst out laughing, and Aminta wiped at the tears forming in her eyes. "Let's just hope that I don't turn blue and sprouting lekku. I rather like myself the way I am. Besides, it would be a shame to lose thirteen years growth worth of hair."

Mission rolled her eyes. "What is it with you humans and your hair? I'll never get it."

Aminta shrugged and gave the girl a broad smile. "I guess I am as attached to my hair as you are to your lekku," Aminta said as she headed towards the exit.

"Lekku and hair is not the same thing! Hair is dead stuff, and if you cut it off, it'll all grow back again. If you cut off a lekku, it won't grow back, and it would hurt as much as sawing your arm off!" Mission objected as she followed Aminta out.

Zalbaar and Carth were left alone in the room together, and they shared a long look. ":They are going to be the death of me:" Zalbaar cried mournfully.

Carth couldn't understand the words spoken, but the tone mirrored his own thoughts. In all honesty though, he was happy to see Aminta acting out a bit. Being bitter and sarcastic had got to take a toll on your health after a while. Maybe being a kid again would be good for her.

"Women," he said aloud with a slight laugh, and the two males hastened to join their female counterparts.

———————————————

"Zaedra has informed me that you recovered our prototype from the Vulkar base. I must say, I am very impressed with you," Gadon told Aminta as she stood before him at the Bek base.

"Nice speech Gadon. I did my job, now you do yours," Aminta replied, shifting her weight and crossing her arms over her chest. "Or are you going to go back on your word?"

"Such impudence!" Zaedra seethed, stepping forward. "I told you that she was nothing but trouble, didn't I Gadon?" she demanded, glaring at Aminta. "You should just send her packing right now!" Aminta smirked and raised an eyebrow at her, looking pointedly towards Zalbaar. Zaedra paled, and turned back to Gadon.

"Zaedra, calm down! She fulfilled her end of the bargain, and so I will fulfill mine," Gadon replied rather calmly. Due to their experience with the Beks, Carth guessed that Gadon had learned to deal with the paranoid twi'lek. "You may ride in the race, as I promised," Gadon said, inclining his head towards Aminta.

Aminta nodded. "When exactly is this race?"

Gadon looked to Zaedra. "About a standard week," the woman replied reluctantly, glaring at Aminta. Aminta grinned back at her.

"That's good. At least I'll have time to do a few practice runs."

"You might want to do more than a few! These bikes are very difficult to handle," Zaedra spat, and Aminta rolled her eyes.

"I know all about swoop bikes," Aminta replied smugly. "Anything that I do would just be a refresher course."

"You've raced a swoop bike before?" Mission exclaimed, cutting into their conversation.

Aminta let out a little laugh at her young friend's sudden enthusiasm. "Yes, I was quite familiar with swoop races. It was a… um… an outlet."

Mission's eyes grew wide. "Did you ever win?" She asked, her voice bubbling with excitement.

Aminta shook her head in amusement, and then nodded. "I wasn't a champion by any means, but I do hold several records on Nar Shadaa."

"Wow," Mission exclaimed, staring at the older woman in a new light.

Carth had been following the conversation, and couldn't help but to say something. "Hey, who said that you were going to ride the bike?" Carth demanded, and then steeled himself an argument.

Instead, Aminta gave him a small, sly smile. "You gonna come through on your promise flyboy?" she murmured softly, and Carth flushed when he remembered the incident in the Rancor Den.

Gadon smiled slightly at the exchange, and then he answered Carth's question. "Mission is too young to qualify for the races, and you are too heavy Carth. Aminta is the only one whom this would work for," he said, pointing out through logic why Aminta was the best candidate.

Aminta smirked at him and then turned back to Gadon. "So, when do you think I should come back here to practice?"

Gadon closed his eyes thoughtfully. "Three days. That way you'll have another three days to practice, and a day to relax before the race."

"Works for me." Aminta turned her back and walked out of the room. "Thanks, Gadon!" she called back over her shoulder, and Mission waved back enthusiastically.

"Are we going to the Upper City?" Mission grabbed Aminta's arm and stared at her with wide eyes.

"Yep. Our hideout is up there," Aminta replied casually, smiling slightly when she saw the grin that broke out on Mission's face.

"I've never been there before!" she exclaimed eagerly. "What's the apartment like? Are there lots of windows? Are they nice views? How many bedrooms are there?"

Carth held up a hand to halt the flow of questions with a laugh. "Easy, girl! It's an apartment, not a palace."

Aminta smiled at the pair. "In the order of your questions, Yes, Yes, one."

Mission stilled for a second. "Oh. I guess me and Big Z will get the couch then, huh?"

"What?" Carth turned to look at the girl in confusion. Where had that come from?

"I mean, you and Ami probably don't want to be interrupted and all…"

Carth sputtered, and Aminta raised a hand to keep him from saying anything. "What exactly do you think is going on between the two of us?" she asked with a broad grin and a wink in Carth's direction.

Mission flushed a deep shade of purple, and Zalbaar growled out a chuckle. "I-I-I… um, well, you know!" she finished rather lamely.

"We're not sleeping together." Aminta said firmly, and Mission flushed a darker purple before nodding.

"I…um…" Mission was spared from further humiliation when the sound of a chorus of little girl's crying caught Aminta's attention.

Forgetting all about their conversation, she hastened to the noise, and stopped dead in her tracks when she saw what was going on. A haggard looking woman, with unkempt blonde hair, and who was obviously heavily pregnant was bouncing a baby on her hip as a slaver was inspecting her oldest daughter, who looked to be no more than nine years of age.

"She's pretty enough, I suppose. It's a shame that she's been ruined. Davik likes virgins," the man muttered as he fingered a lock of the girl's golden curls. The little girl whimpered, and looked up to her mother, who seemed not to realize that her daughter was standing there. Aminta's throat went dry. The situation was so familiar that it was like looking into a mirror.

"How much will you pay me for her?" The woman demanded, tapping her foot in frustration. She jostled the baby on her hip so that the child began to cry, and she made no move to comfort it.

The slaver made no move to answer the woman's question, and instead turned his attention to the little girl standing next to her sister, who couldn't have been more than five. The little girl shrank from his touch, but that didn't deter him. "Is this one still an innocent?" he asked, looking the girl over with a critical eye. The little girl sniffled, and bit back a sob when he stroked her hair.

"Yes, she is! And the little one here is too, though I think she's a bit too young for Davik's taste." she said, gesturing to the crying baby that she held.

The man smirked at her. "She is for now, but if she grows up to be as pretty as your other daughters, I think she will suit Davik's tastes wonderfully, in time." he said as he looked over the baby. He seemed to think hard for a moment, before pulling out a wallet filled with credit chips. "I'll give you three hundred - a hundred a head," he announced as he began to count the credits into his palm.

"A thousand, and not a credit less!" The woman demanded, eyeing the man in an attempt to judge his reaction.

"Five hundred."

"Seven," she countered, and glared him down.

The man met her gaze for several moments before sighing, and counting out more credits. "Done."

Carth felt Aminta stiffen beside him, and he touched her arm with his hand. She was shaking. Before the slaver could pour the credits into the woman's palm, Aminta hurried over. "How dare you?" she cried out, standing before the woman, her face contorted with rage. "How dare you sell them? Are they property for you to buy and sell? No! They are children! You carried them inside you, raised them from infants, and now you decide that you don't want them any longer? You cannot sell them to this man! What kind of life will they lead in a harem?"

The woman glared at her. Her once pretty face was sunken with hunger, and her eyes held the glint of desperation. "Do not presume to tell me what I can and cannot do, stranger! I can barely afford to feed myself, and they are draining my income!" she shouted, pointing at the children.

Before Aminta could stop herself, she slapped the woman, hard. "Don't even try to justify yourself," she spat and turned to the little girls, who cowered away from her. The eldest one had the oldest eyes Aminta had ever seen, and she knew instinctively that the girl's childhood had already been stripped from her.

Aminta fought down the urge to scream and instead settled a glare on the woman. "I will pay you double his amount," she said hoarsely, looking the woman dead in the eye. "Fourteen hundred credits. That's four hundred and sixty a head, you realize. He is only offering you two hundred and thirty per girl."

Carth's mouth dropped open. "So much?" he whispered, and when she turned to him, the look in her eyes broke his heart.

"They are worth far more," she told him softly, before looking back at the woman. "Do we have a deal?" she asked, her voice cold and impersonal.

The woman's eyes glinted. "Show me the money before I hand them over. I have to be sure that I'm getting my fair share." She held out her free palm greedily, bouncing the crying baby harder, which made it only wail louder.

Aminta quickly pulled out her purse of credits, counting out half of what she owned into the woman's hand. The woman followed every movement that Aminta made, to be absolutely certain that she wasn't being cheated. Finally satisfied that she had all that she felt she was due, she thrust the baby at her. "This is Nailah," she said as she shoved the little girl into Aminta's arms, and then pushed the middle child towards her. "This is Raeanna," she said, and then pushed the oldest of her daughters to the younger woman. "And this is Vianka. They are your problem now," she told Aminta with a toss of her head, and scurried away.

"Mama!" Raeanna cried out, and went to run after her mother, but Vianka pulled her sister into her arms and held her there. Aminta felt her throat constrict, and she set about calming Nailah, who stopped crying the instant that Aminta spoke in soothing tones, and stared up at the woman, mesmerized._ By all the gods and Galaxies! Did the woman not once show her daughters any affection?_

When the two younger girls were quiet, Vianka stood, and addressed Aminta. "What are we to do in your service ma'am?" she asked as she dropped into a little curtsy, Raeanna clutching her hand with one of hers, and was sucking on the thumb of the other, great tears still pooling in her violet eyes.

Aminta handed the baby to a very awkward looking Carth, and she knelt down to the girl so that the two were eye level. "You are free. I didn't buy you, I want to be sure that you understand that," she told the girl softly. And then she leaned close to the girl's ear. "My father sold me to a man like Davik. I understand," she whispered so that only the girl could hear.

Vianka stared at the woman for a few seconds, tears gathering in her violet eyes and spilling down her porcelain cheeks. She then leaned close, and wrapped her arms around a crouching Aminta. Aminta hugged the girl back, and looked over the child's mass of golden curs to Carth, and was surprised to see that a glimmer of tears shone in his eyes.

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Mission smiled at the baby Nailah, and made faces at the girl that caused the baby to giggle. She had never been around kids before…at least not ones this little or cute. She was a street urchin, so the only other children that she met were just like her. It was useless to have friendships anyway. Most street kids were abducted or killed when they were on their own, and making a friend who dies just added an extra heartache.

Mission looked up from Nailah, and briefly turned her attention to the couch, where Aminta sat with the two older girls, telling them a story. Mission had never had the privilege of hearing fairy tales. Her parents had died when she was very young, and Griff… she didn't even want to think about that schutta. Looking at the children, Mission felt a twinge of jealousy.

What if someone like Aminta had come to rescue her and take her away when she was little? What if she was living in a wonderful family right now? Those thoughts caused her head to spin, and she immediately chastised herself. _Geez, Vao! Get over it already. If someone had come to take you away, you wouldn't know everything that you do now…like how to pick locks, or win a game of Pazaak! Get a grip!_ She quickly turned her attention back to Nailah, and baby-talked to the child, earning her a toothless grin.

Aminta finished her tale, and looked over at Mission, who wasn't quite able to hide her discomfort. Aminta slid Raeanna off of her lap, stood up, and then plopped down next to where Mission sat. "So, Mish, are you out of your mind with boredom?" she asked with a smile, and then looked down at Nailah, whose face was currently scrunched up like a Kinrath pup's.

"I'm dealing." Mission said dryly, and turned her attention from the baby to Aminta. "Of course, you've got us to keep you occupied, so you can't be too bored."

Aminta laughed, and shook her head. "You'd be surprised." she looked down at the baby for a moment, and then grinned. "You might want to hand her over soon," she said.

Mission's eyes widened. "Why? She's adorable!" the teenager exclaimed before looking down, and tickling the baby's bare stomach. The little girl let out another gurgling laugh. Mission grinned, and continued to tickle Nailah, until she smelled something putrid. Quickly realizing the source, she pushed the baby into Aminta's arms. "Okay, you were right!" she exclaimed, backing away.

Aminta shook her head and grinned, but accepted the little girl into her arms. "I wonder when Carth and Zalbaar will be back with the groceries. They've been gone a long time," she said, looking down at her chronometer. She needed formula for Nailah, and she was acutely aware of the need for diapers.

"I don't think Carth likes kids. And Rae is afraid of Big Z, so he'd leave to keep her happy. I think they deserted us," Mission said when she saw the time. The men had been gone for two hours already.

Aminta grinned. "They wouldn't dare," she replied confidently, and snuggled Nailah against her breast. She placed a gentle kiss on the baby's head and then smiled at Mission. "After they get back, what do you say the two of us go and have some girl time?" Aminta asked, drawing a shocked stare from Mission, followed by a huge smile.

"Really? You mean it?" the teenager exclaimed. "Like cantina hopping and all that?"

"If all that includes shopping and going out to lunch, than yes," Aminta replied, shaking her head with wry amusement at the girl's huge grin. Mission quickly wrapped Aminta in a tight squeeze, though she was careful not to suffocate Nailah, who was cradled in Aminta's arms. Mission had never had 'girl time' with anyone before. Griff's schutta of a girlfriend certainly hadn't wanted to hang with a ten year old kid, and the Beks didn't have time to 'baby-sit' her.

"That would be so awesome! I mean, I've never been anywhere to eat but that cantina in the lower city, and I've never actually been able to buy anything from a store! And the shopkeepers wouldn't even let me window shop. They said that I might swipe something! Oh, I can't wait! I really hope the guys get back soon!" Mission gushed, unable to control her flow of thoughts.

Aminta chuckled. She had completely underestimated what Mission's response would be. "They'd better," Aminta said dryly. "Because if they don't get here within the next ten minutes, the two of them get to change Nai's diaper."

Mission plugged her nose. "Do all babies smell that bad?" she asked, practically gagging now that the subject had been brought back around to Nailah's present condition.

Aminta choked back a laugh. "You want kids one day, don't you Mission?" Aminta asked.

Mission raised her eyebrow at the apparent change of subject. "I'm a girl. Of course I do," she said cautiously, not quite sure where Aminta was taking things.

"Then you might as well get used to the smell now."

Mission made a face. "I don't think twi'lek babies smell as bad as human ones," she muttered as she disdainfully sniffed at the air, before covering her nose again.

Aminta just shook her head with a bemused smile, and looked over to where Raeanna and Vianka were sitting on the couch. "There's another way to fix a dirty diaper, you know," she told Mission with a grin. Mission looked at her inquisitively, and Aminta put the baby back in the teenager's arms, much to Mission's dismay, although she was unwilling to relinquish her new-found charge. "How long has it been since you girls have had a shower?" She asked the two children.

Mama didn't let us take very many. She said they were too 'xpensive," Raeanna said. Vianka looked down to her bare feet, saying nothing. The nine year old with exotic violet eyes, creamy complexion, and golden hair never said much. She spoke when spoken to, otherwise staying silent. Though so young, she bore the eyes of an old woman, and it broke Aminta's heart.

"Well, I think the two of you might need one," she told them with a kindly smile, although most of her attention was directed at Vianka. Besides the hug that the little girl had given her after their first meeting, the child had shied away from all physical contact. Aminta didn't want to think of what had been done to her. "Besides," she continued, "Nai definitely needs something done to get her clean."

Raeanna's face scrunched up. "I don't wanna bath. Whenever Mama gave me one, she's always got soap in my eyes. When I cried, she'd make me eat it," she said with a little pout. Vianka stilled beside her sister.

Aminta swallowed back her rage. All of the little things that the girls…well, mainly Raeanna… had mentioned about their mother reminded Aminta of a rancor beast. How could one woman be so cruel to her children? How could she bear to be so cruel? She wondered. She carefully put all trace of her emotions from her voice, and smiled at Raeanna. "I promise you I won't get soap in your eyes, okay?" she asked with a slight smile.

Raeanna appeared to be lost in thought for several moments before she grudgingly nodded. "Okay," she said, although she still pouted. Vianka looked like she would bolt from the apartment at any given moment, but she gave a slight nod of her assent to the situation before walking to the refresher with Aminta and her sister.

Aminta quickly set Mission to work bathing Nailah, something that the teenager did with much trepidation and reluctance, while she set about warming the water for the two older sisters. Raeanna smelled at the soap that Aminta had pulled from her bag, and gave the woman a huge smile. "It smells pretty!" She exclaimed, before taking another deep whiff of the exotic scent, getting some of the liquid up her nose.

Aminta laughed, and grabbed a tissue for the girl. "You're not supposed to breathe it, Rae!" she exclaimed with a grin, as she held the tissue up to the child's nose. "Blow," she commanded, and the little girl obeyed, relieved to have the stuff out of her nasal cavities. Aminta quickly disposed of the tissue, and felt the water coming from the shower to be sure it wasn't too hot or cold. Finally satisfied of the temperature, she helped Raeanna undress before turning towards Vianka. The child shrunk away from her, staring at her with wide eyes. "Vika, its okay," she reassured the girl, concern ablaze in her blue eyes. The child swallowed, but took a step closer to Aminta, allowing the woman to undress her.

Aminta's breath hitched in her throat when she saw the bruises that marred the little girl's back. Some were brand new, and others were just beginning to fade. Vianka hung her head in shame and looked away from Aminta, tears rising to her eyes.

Mission turned around to see what was going on, her eyes widening when she saw what Aminta was looking at. She stared at Aminta for a moment, before finally manage to regain her voice. "Ami…" she began, but Aminta had already begun to speak.

"Who gave those to you, sweetheart?" Aminta asked, barely able to keep her emotions from pouring into her voice. She suddenly entertained all kinds of horrible thoughts of what she'd like to do to the person who had done this to an innocent child.

Vianka furiously brushed away a tear, and sniffled. "Mama's friends," she said softly.

"Who were Mama's friends?" she asked, attempting to keep her voice cool, and nearly failing.

"They came over to see me. They hurt me a lot…" the little girl trailed off, and tried to check the flow of tears. "And then they'd pay Mama, and she'd hit me for crying," she said as she pressed her fists to her eyes to stop the tears from falling.

Aminta had a few moments where she didn't have any coherent thoughts. The world around her seemed to fade, and anger swiftly filled the void. Once she was finally able to see clearly again, she reached for Vianka, but the little girl jerked away, the fear apparent on her face. Aminta quickly took the little girl in her arms, and Vianka buried her face into Aminta's shoulder.

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Okay guys, another chapter finished, and in record time too! Anyway, Aminta is starting to open up to people! Let's get a collective Aw!


	10. Chapter 10

"So, do you remember everything that the girls wanted us to get?" Carth asked as he pushed the cart through the grocery store. His question was rhetorical, of course. He couldn't understand Wookiee. That wouldn't have mattered anyway; Zalbaar wasn't listening to him. A platter of samples had caught the Wookiee's attention, and he was alternating stuffing the food down his mouth, and looking around to be sure that no one who worked there would catch him eating the whole tray.

Carth shook his head. Supposedly, Zalbaar was the voice of reason, or so Aminta had told him. Something about the way that the Wookiee was eating didn't fit in with his mental image of a figure of wisdom. Carth rolled his eyes, and left the Wookiee as fast as possible without appearing conspicuous. He went to the baby aisle, putting some formula, a few bottles, and at least forty jars of baby food into his cart. Hey, the sign read, "Buy 10, Get 10 free," and there was no way Carth was going to pass up a good deal. He then loaded an obscene amount of diaper packages into the cart, remembering how many Dustil had gone through when he was an infant.

He exited the baby aisle, and re-entered the food section, picking up snacks he was sure that kids would like…or at least, pretty sure… Captain Nerf Flakes sounded like a kid's snack anyway.

Once he was finished, he looked around to find Zalbaar, and was amused to find the Wookiee going at it with another tray of food. Carth shook his head in amusement, and quickly paid for his purchases. "Come on fur ball, help me carry this stuff, will you?" he called over his shoulder. Zalbaar growled in protest at the 'fur ball' comment, but seemed to take it pretty lightly. At least he wasn't pulling Carth's arms off. "Let's just hope we got all that the girls wanted," he said, wincing at the thought of what would happen if he had forgotten anything.

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When Carth and Zalbaar arrived back at the apartment, they interrupted a fairly peaceful scene. Aminta was brushing the tangles out of Vianka's wet, golden mane, and Mission was doing the same to Raeanna's, while Nailah was sleeping in the crude nest of blankets that Mission and Aminta had constructed earlier that day. The moment the door opened, however, chaos ensued.

Vianka immediately went stiff and rigid again, and hid behind Aminta's body, Raeanna took to screaming at the sight of the Wookiee, and her cries awakened Nailah, who screamed at the top of her little lungs in indignation of being woken from her nap. Aminta ran her hand over her face, suddenly feeling very old and tired. When she moved to collect Nailah from her bundle and ease her cries, Vianka grabbed onto the material of her vest and followed her. The little girl had become Aminta's shadow since the incident in the bathroom.

"Sorry," Carth said with a repentant smile and a shrug, as Zalbaar went to sit unobtrusively in a corner as to avoid a confrontation with Raeanna, bringing most of the bags with him.

Mission attempted to quiet Raeanna as Aminta bounced a screaming Nailah, giving Carth a death glare. She was under a lot of strain, and it was beginning to show. Once Raeanna had calmed down, and Nailah's cries had been reduced to hiccups, she felt slightly more charitable, and was able to manage a smile in his general direction. "Did you get everything?" her voice had a hard, weary edge.

Morgana was the same way when Dustil was a baby, Carth thought with a tired smile as he remembered his wife. She had been a devoted mother, and their son had been hard to handle. Since Carth hadn't been there most of the time, Morgana was sleep deprived and edgy most of the day. He could already see the strain inflicted on Aminta by the care of three young girls. "I think so," Carth said with a shrug as he put the bags he'd been carrying down on the table.

Aminta rolled her eyes, and shifted Nailah's weight to her other hip as she bent down and searched through its contents. Once she had counted at least twenty baby food jars, she looked up at Carth with a wry grin. "Was there a sale?" she asked, holding one up.

Carth grinned. "Yeah."

Aminta shook her head and rolled her eyes again. "I thought so," she said with a sigh, and she continued to sift through the bags. Once she was finished, she looked up at him with a little frown. "Is that all?" she asked, realizing that Carth had missed diapers. Nailah needed those, and if he'd forgotten them, Carth would be cleaning Nailah up from now on.

"Zalbaar has the rest," he told her as the Wookiee finally moved from his hiding place to put the remainder of the purchases on the table. Carth was about to offer to take the baby from Aminta so that she could better look through the bags until he realized that the girl was stark naked. The thought of her leaking on his arm quickly stilled his tongue.

He needn't have worried about Aminta; even one handed, she made quick work of all of the bags. Once all of the products had been looked over, she glanced up at him, brushing a pesky stray strand of hair from her eyes. "Did you get diaper rash cream?" she asked, although she already knew the answer. _Well, at least he managed to get the diapers_, she thought. _I have to give him some credit; he is only a man after all._.

Carth feigned innocence. "You asked for that? I'm sorry, I must not have heard you," he told her, his eyes wide, as though with surprise.

Aminta shook her head with annoyance. Blasted men were all simply just the same! "Oh well. Mission and I will just have to make an extra stop when we go out today," she said with a shrug, watching his reaction from beneath her lowered lashes.

Carth did a double take. "You and Mission are going out?" he asked, swallowing hard.

"Well, Vika is coming too," she told him, and smiled as Vianka's whole face lit up in a smile.

Carth stared at her. "And what about the little ones?" he squeaked, but he already knew the answer. _I wasn't even home enough to do much for Dustil when he was a kid. How am I supposed to take care of them?_ he wondered, horror filling him. It was one thing for him to have trouble with his own child… it was completely different to take care of another person's.

_Not to mention that Ami would definitely make good on her threat to sever my co-pilots if anything happened to them,_ Carth realized in terror.

Aminta passed Nailah to Carth. "You get to take care of them," she said with an air of finality. When she saw Carth's horrified look, she chuckled. "It's not like I'm giving you the death sentence. Lighten up!" she exclaimed, grinning broadly. She saw how awkwardly Carth was holding Nailah, and she shook her head with a smile. T_here is definitely a reason that men don't have maternal instincts_, she thought wryly, and turned her attention to Mission. "Ready to go Mish?"

Mission abruptly let go of Raeanna, and jumped up. "Am I ever!" she exclaimed, her lekku twitching with excitement. In all honesty, she had been on edge ever since Aminta had mentioned the outing to her, and now that the guys were back, she was unwilling to waste another second.

Aminta smiled at her young friend's exuberance, and then bent down, and gave Nailah a kiss on the cheek, before doing the same to Raeanna. Then she looked up at Carth. "Remember, they need to be fed, and that means both of them, even if they say that they're not hungry," she instructed. "And remember to change Nai's diaper…don't wait for me to get back to do it. And if you feed Nai formula, be sure to burp her afterwards, or she'll get gas, and she'll cry. Oh, and she had a tooth coming in. Since you didn't get me the teething ring that I asked you for, give her something to chew on. Also, remember to keep Raeanna occupied…a bored kid can cause all sorts of chaos…"

"All right, all right!" Carth exclaimed, keenly aware of the diaper less baby that he held. "Just go already!" he cried, sick of her lecturing. They'd had the girls for less than a day, and she was already acting like she was their mother. Just great. Life as you knew it has just gone down the tubes, he thought to himself, groaning as Aminta bent to kiss the two little girls again. "Gods sakes, woman! I'm not going to kill them, they'll be here when you get back!" he exclaimed. _She is the last woman that I would have thought to have maternal instincts like that!_

Ami glared at him. "If one hair from either of their heads is missing, I swear…"

"I get it, I get it! Not get out of here!" _I'm in way over my head… Maybe if I paid her, Mayenna could watch them for me. Then, I could get a nice, big bottle of Tarisian ale and get myself piss drunk._

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Mission and Aminta sat in the Cantina, challenging each other in a game of Pazaak. Mission groaned as Aminta won another round. "Best five out of seven," the girl exclaimed, throwing down her Pazaak deck in frustration. She had been unbeatable at the card game down in the lower city, but somehow, Aminta had managed to beat her three out of the five times that they played.

Aminta grinned. "I won, you lost, end of story!" she exclaimed. "Besides, I didn't buy this outfit for nothing," she motioned to the plunging neckline of the skin tight shirt she was wearing.

Mission scowled. "You cheat!" the twi'lek accused, earning her a laugh from Aminta.

"So do you," Aminta told the girl with a smirk as she shuffled her deck and put it away. "I've just picked up more tricks over the years than you have, most of which I'd be willing to share with you later on. But for now…I won. I get go against the other players, and you get to make sure that Vianka stays out of trouble."

Mission rolled her eyes, but then brightened suddenly, mischief gleaming in her eyes. "Okay," she said, a bit too readily, making Aminta wary. Mission wasn't one to roll over when she wanted something unless she had something better planned.

"And when I say to be sure that you need to be sure that Vika stays out of trouble, I mean you too. No going off and engaging in one of your hair-brained schemes," she said, wagging a finger at Mission.

Mission just grinned. "Don't worry, Ami. We won't get into any trouble, right Vika?" Mission looked down at the girl, and it was as though Vianka finally crawled out of her shell, nodding and grinning up at Mission. Suddenly, Aminta was absolutely certain that whatever they were going to do was not going to be good.

Aminta sighed in resignation. "Fine, do whatever you have planned, but don't you dare get caught!" she exclaimed, a smile playing on her lips. "Because then I'll be forced to be mad at you," she said, and then leaned closer to the two girls, "Although I personally think that whatever you take from these people's pockets will easily be replaced. They have too much money anyway," she whispered with a wink before straightening.

"Carth would kill you if he heard you say that," Mission told Aminta with a knowing grin.

"Carth shmarth," Aminta waved her hand in dismissal. "I know how to handle him. Now off with you! I have some games of Pazaak to play, and you've got a couple of spoiled brats to go at." Mission and Vianka hurried off, and Aminta shook her head with a smirk. Yep, Mission was just like her.

Once they were gone, she scanned the Pazaak den for potential victims, a flirtatious smile settling on her face when she caught sight of a man watching her. _Yep, he'll do_, she thought as she made her way over to him, her hips swinging gently with practiced ease. He grinned, and motioned for her to take a seat, which she did with a coy smile.

"What's your name, sweetheart?"

Aminta smiled shyly at him, glad for her training as a smuggler. "Liana," she replied softly, blushing prettily.

"Hyter," he replied in turn, taking her hand in his. "So, Liana, have you ever played pazaak before?"

Aminta blushed again, and shyly dropped her eyes. "I do so occasionally, but I'm not very good," she admitted softly, and he grinned as he took out his deck.

"Well, sweetheart, I'll bet you're a whole lot better than you let on," he exclaimed with a smile, but he placed a hefty bet on the table. Aminta grinned; things were going according to plan. She took out a handful of credits and laid them on the table along with Hyter's, and pulled out her deck. "Let's play," she murmured as she shuffled her deck, leaning farther over than necessary as she did so. Hyster's eyes followed the curve of her chest and stayed there for most of the match. It was, in the least, an easy five hundred credits.

All of her other encounters were just as effective, and soon, she had accumulated all of the credits that she had lost by paying for the girls' freedom, even managing to make a little more for her own spending money for the day. By the time that Mission and Vianka returned, everyone in the Pazaak den had forfeited credits to her, and had refused to play against her again.

So, how did you two do?" she asked as they plopped into the chairs opposite her.

The two girls looked at each other with huge smiles before turning back to Aminta. Mission spoke for the pair of them. "We did really, really good. Once we get outta here, I'll tell you all the stories of how we swiped 'em," she said, patting the fattened purse that hung from her belt. Aminta's eyes widened considerably at just how much the purse bulged, but she didn't comment with anything other than a large grin. "So, how'd you do?" Mission asked, drumming her fingers on the table.

Aminta shrugged. "Roughly, 2000 credits. I could have made more, but everyone here are sore losers," she said casting a glare in one of the Pazaak player's direction. He quickly turned his attentions back to his cards.

Mission gave a low whistle. "That's a lot. But you only really made 600, right?"

"Once I repay the credits that I spent, yes. But that's still a lot of money," she said with a shrug, "especially since when Carth and I crashed we only had about fifty combined."

Mission shrugged. "True."

Aminta smiled at the teenager, and then looked at Vianka. "Have you ever been shopping, Vika?" she asked, her smile growing when she saw the little girl's eyes go wide, and her head shake.

"We never had enough money to go shopping. Not for me, anyways."

Aminta grinned. "Well, then. I guess I'll be taking you on your first shopping trip."

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Mission crossed her arms over her chest, fuming. "I can't believe they wouldn't let me in there just because I'm a twi'lek!" she exclaimed in righteous anger.

Aminta was furious as well, and she hadn't been able to hide that very well. The magnitude of her anger had been revealed when she spoke with the manager of the shop, and she had kneed him in the groin before storming out of the shop. Mission had stared at her with wide eyes, and then ran out after her, followed by the curses of the injured man.

"I got him though," Aminta muttered with a self satisfied smile, and Vianka giggled.

"Right where it hurts," Mission agreed with a smirk.

"They're rude!" Vianka exclaimed, gaining her startled glances from both Aminta and Mission. Vianka had barely spoken on their excursion, and now that she said something with such vehemence, the two young women wondered at what made her stay so quiet. The little girl threw her arms across her chest in a perfect imitation of Mission, and pouted. "I don't like shopping," she muttered, ducking her head when she saw how her two older companions were staring at her.

Aminta laughed suddenly. "I'm not so sure I like shopping on this planet either, honey," she told the girl between bouts of laughter. Both Mission and Vianka stared at Aminta as though she had lost her mind. Mission sneaked a glance at Vianka, and made the crazy sign, earning her a cuff on the back of her head from Aminta.

"We're going to go into one more store. If they have a problem with us, I'm pulling out the vibroblades," Aminta proclaimed.

Mission rolled her eyes and nodded reluctantly. "But if one more person calls me a schutta, we are out of there."

"I completely agree," Aminta said, and then peeked her head into another store. There was a kindly looking woman working the register, and Aminta thought that it might be worth a try. "Want to go in this one?" she asked, turning to Mission.

Mission looked in, and shrugged. "Alright," she said, and the trio walked into the store.

The woman rose to greet them, her eyes lingering distrustfully on Mission, before settling on Aminta. "May I help you?" she inquired, a polite smile pasted on her face.

"You aren't going to kick us out, are you?" Vianka asked, and hid behind Aminta when the woman bent to look at her. The woman knelt down to the girl's level, and winked up at Aminta.

"Now why would I want to send three such beautiful women away?" she asked with a smile, grinning when Vianka smiled back at her.

"You don't mind that Mission's here?" Vianka asked, stepping away from Aminta, though still wary. Aminta sighed sharply. _Of all things to ask…Well, at least she's talking_, she thought, looking down at the little girl.

The woman's eyes widened in feigned surprise. "Why should I mind? She might be blue, but she's the same as you and me on the inside, isn't she?" she asked, earning her a huge smile and a nod from the girl that she was speaking to. She then rose from her crouching position and looked at Mission. "Actually, I rather like the color blue. I think I have some clothes here that would compliment your skin tone perfectly," she said turning her attention to Mission, and drawing the teenager away from her companions to look at the clothing.

Aminta smiled as she and the woman shared a glance, before taking Vianka's hand and walking to the children's section. Vianka's eyes grew wide as she looked at the clothes hanging all about her, reverently touching the soft wool of a pink shirt that Aminta held out for her inspection. "Is this for me?" she asked in awe as she fingered the article of clothing.

Aminta gave a soft, little smile at the girl's wonder. "If you like it," she said, and no sooner were the words out of her mouth that Vianka was hugging the shirt against her chest. Aminta chuckled. "You can get more than one you know. How about something purple, to match those pretty eyes of yours?" she asked, and Vianka's mouth dropped open.

When Aminta and Mission met up again, they both held a great number of purchases in their arms. "I picked some stuff up for you, too, since I figured that you'd be busy with Vika's stuff and all," Mission said sheepishly as she handed Aminta some clothes to inspect.

Aminta looked them over, noticing with a wry smile that most of them were blue. "Are they this color because they match my eyes, or so that when we're out we'll blend?" she asked with a grin.

Mission laughed. "I got them to match your eyes!" she exclaimed. "Besides, you wouldn't make a very good twi'lek."

Aminta feigned hurt. "Now why is that? I think I'd make a perfectly good twi'lek!"

"Nah-uh. For one thing, you're too short, for another you're too skinny, and you'd look absolutely ridiculous with no lekku," the teen said with a broad grin.

"I am not too skinny!" Aminta cried in indignation. Seeing the hurt look on Mission's face, she sighed sharply and ran a hand over her face. "Look, I'm sorry okay? It's just that Carth has made an issue out of me being too thin, and… I just don't want to talk about it."

Mission shrugged, and smiled. "Hey, don't get mad at me. The dancers say that I'm too skinny for a twi'lek, and I must be a size bigger than you. So, by default, you're too skinny to be a twi'lek."

Aminta laughed, and shook her head as she laid their purchases down on the counter. "Alright, alright! I'm too skinny to be a twi'lek," she said, raising her hands in surrender.

Mission smiled at Aminta's capitulation, and then she noticed something from the corner of her eye. She whirled around, and saw a beautiful, water silk ball gown the shade of Aminta's eyes. "Ami!" she exclaimed as she hurried over to it. Aminta turned her head, and frowned when she saw what the twi'lek was looking at. "You have to try it on!" Mission told her in a tone that left no room for argument.

Aminta walked over, and immediately choked when she looked at the price tag. "This thing costs more than I made when I delivered a shipment of spices!" she exclaimed, and stared at the teenager.

"I'm not telling you to buy it, I'm telling you to try it on," Mission said with a shrug. "It's not like you'll ruin it by wearing it just this one time."

"No."

"Yes!"

"I'll trip and fall, and it'll rip."

"No you won't. Carth told me that you were a dancer. Dancers aren't clumsy!":

Aminta stopped suddenly and then grinned. "Ha! I knew that flyboy liked that dance!" she proclaimed with a self satisfied smirk.

"Wha-"

"Never mind," Aminta cut Mission off before she could finish the question. For the gods' sakes, the girl already thought that they were sleeping with each other!

"Well, you still should try it on!" Mission finished, crossing her arms over her chest and glaring at Aminta.

Aminta mimicked Mission's stance and glared the girl down. Seeing that her ploy hadn't worked, Mission tried a new tactic and made her eyes wide as she pouted prettily. "Please," she whispered softly.

Aminta laughed harshly. "That does not work on me."

"Oh, fine!" Mission finally exclaimed, throwing her hands up in defeat.

Aminta smirked in triumph, brushing a stay lock of hair out of her eyes as she glanced around for Vianka. She smiled softly when she saw the little girl sitting on the counter, her legs swinging back and forth as she licked a lollypop.

Mission followed Aminta's gaze, and her eyes softened. "She's cute, isn't she? It's really sad that she had to go through all that junk," she observed.

Before Aminta had a chance to respond, a deep voice cut her off. "Excuse me, but I couldn't help noticing you…" the man said as he looked at Aminta.

"Gee, that's original," Mission mumbled under her breath, and Aminta smirked, turning to face the stranger with a brow raised. Mission coughed and scurried off to join Vianka, and Aminta scowled at the teenager's retreating back.

The man was handsome, she'd give him that. Black hair, golden skin, and sculpted features made certain that no one would ever be able to classify him as anything else. But his slanted eyes identified him as Deralian, and something about him seemed…familiar.

As though sensing her perusal, the man shifted his weight nervously and gave her a sheepish grin. "I'm sorry; I know it seems like I'm coming onto you, but, I kind of needed to ask you a question."

Aminta crossed her arms over her chest and glared at him. "You have my attention now, so you'd better ask while you still can," she muttered grudgingly.

The man took a step back from her at the undercurrent of danger in her voice. "Look, it's just, see… I've only met three other Deralian women with blue eyes, and that was my mother, my grandmother, and my sister… and I was just…"

Aminta felt her heart rise to her throat as she studied him more closely. He had faint crow's feet around his eyes, and the beginnings of lines were beginning to show about his mouth. But underneath the subtle aging, she caught a glimpse of a young man that she thought she recognized.

"I- I'm sorry for disturbing you," he apologized, and turned away from her.

"Oded?" Aminta whispered, her heart racing. At the sound of his name, Oded whirled around to face her.

"How do you know my name?" he demanded, drawing so close to her that their arms brushed against each other's.

"The fall from the cliff…" she murmured, the words paining her. "I wasn't in the water." She cast her gaze down to the ground as she fought back the tears that were so close to the surface. Her throat constricted as he gently held her upper arms in his hand.

"Tas…?" he breathed, and Aminta finally let out a sob. She hadn't heard that name in nearly twenty years, and now every pain and every humiliation from her childhood came with it. And then suddenly, she was surrounded by her brother's arms, burying her head in his chest as she let the tears fall.

Oded let his own tears trickle onto Aminta's head as he held his sister as tightly as he could without crushing her in his arms. Twenty years he had thought that she was dead… twenty years. Finally, he pulled back from her and held her at arm's length. "Where were you?"

Aminta couldn't meet his gaze, and stared hard at the wall. "Nar Shadaa," she replied tonelessly, and Oded stiffened as realization dawned on him.

His hands clenched at his sides, and he took in a deep, shuddering breath as he attempted to calm himself. And then he gently brushed a lock of hair out of his sister's eyes and kissed her forehead. "I love you," he murmured against her skin, and wiped the remainder of her tears away with his thumb.

"Ami?" Mission's voice pulled Aminta back to the world. "Who's that?" The girl's lekku were curled about her shoulders defensively, and Vianka stood beside her wide eyed.

Aminta slowly met Mission's gaze. "This is Oded."

————————————

Carth watched as Mayenna tucked Nailah into her crude bed, planting a gentle kiss on the girl's cheek before doing the same to Raeanna. How she had managed to get the girls bathed and sleepy was a mystery to him.

"Thanks, May." He gave her a slight, tired smile and then flopped down onto the couch. Mayenna grinned as she sat down beside him.

"Hey, don't mention it. They're great kids." Her grin broadened as she watched Carth check his chrono for the thousandth time that night, and she gently nudged him. "Don't worry, she's coming back."

"What? Who's coming back?"

Mayenna giggled and shook her head. "You know who I mean. The one who got you into this mess," she indicated the two sleeping children.

"She's particularly good at getting me into trouble, isn't she?" he noted wryly.

Mayenna grinned impishly. "Want me to head out now? Maybe if she comes back and sees that the kids are asleep she'll think you handled them."

"Or, maybe she'll think Zalbaar's roars calmed them down." Zalbaar made a noise at the opposite end of the room, and Carth cleared his throat self-consciously. "No disrespect intended." The Wookiee growled softly, but returned to looking at his datapad.

Mayenna laughed. "Well, much as I'd like to talk to her again, I don't think she likes me very much. She doesn't pay attention to anything I say… Maybe I _do_ talk too much."

Carth chuckled, but didn't reply. Mayenna frowned lightly and sprung up from the couch. "Anyway, I should probably go now. Zelka's on overtime today, and he asked me if I could go in and help him. You know, yesterday there was this kid that came in…" she paused when she saw Carth's eyes glass over and pouted. "I do talk too much!"

Carth laughed and patted her shoulder. "Go see the doctor," was all he said. Mayenna rolled her eyes and stomped out of the room, muttering something about how stories were the keys to life.

Carth chuckled as he watched her walk out and looked over to Zalbaar. "Kids these days, huh?" Zalbaar growled something in reply that Carth couldn't understand, and then stalked off to the refresher.

Carth shook his head. "I guess he doesn't like me too much," he muttered to himself, and made himself comfortable on the couch as he waited for Aminta to come back.

—————————————

"So… Exactly _how_ rich are you?"

"Mission!" Aminta exclaimed, cutting off the girl's flow of words. "He is the one man that you are absolutely forbidden to pickpocket!" She glared the girl down, and Mission shrugged and held up her hands in defense.

"Not even Carth?" she asked, her voice gone sly.

"Mission," Aminta growled in warning, but it was too late.

"Who's Carth?" Oded asked, looking from his sister to her blue twi'lek friend and back again. He still wasn't sure of their status… On Deralia, Twi'leks were usually slaves, but the teenager and Aminta surely didn't act as though that was their relationship, and he thought it would be rude to ask.

"Ami's lover," Mission said flippantly, and he turned to stare at his sister who had gone red with anger. She had pulled him aside briefly, and informed him that her companions knew her by the name of Aminta, and not to call her by her 'childhood' name in front of any of them. Before he had been able to ask, the teenager had rejoined the conversation.

"Your lover?" he raised a brow, and scowled disapprovingly. Aminta straightened her spine at the look he gave her.

"I am twenty six years old, and I can do whatever I want," she muttered as she glared at him, and coughed and looked away from her. Aminta's eyes softened as she gently placed her hand on his arm. "I'm not six anymore."

Oded turned back to face his sister and smiled tightly as he looked down at her. "No, you're not." he agreed softly.

Mission cleared her throat, breaking into the sibling's moment of reminiscence. "We're at the apartment." She held Vianka's hand in one of hers and her arms were crossed over her chest as she smirked. "You have a funny way of missing destinations when you're talking to men… first the sewer door when you were walking with Carth, then the apartment door when you're walking with Odi…"

"Shut up," Aminta grumbled at the same time that Oded exclaimed, "Odi!"

"Aw, suck it up you two," Mission tossed a lekku over her shoulder and entered the code into the terminal by the apartment door.

Aminta glowered, and Oded stood back, offended as the teenager slipped into the room. Aminta was one step behind the girl, ready to give her a piece of her mind, and then she stopped suddenly at seeing the scene before her. Nailah and Raeanna were both tucked into bed, fast asleep, and Carth was snoring lightly on the couch. She chuckled softly and slipped off her boots before heading to the kitchen.

Oded walked in behind his sister, and paused to study the man on the couch while she walked further in. The guy looked honest; at least his sister didn't get involved with the wrong kind of men. As if sensing Oded's stare, Carth stirred on the sofa and opened his eyes. Upon seeing Oded, he bolted up and whipped his blasters out of their holsters.

Before he had a chance to fire, however, Aminta stepped into the room. "Down, Onasi." she instructed, thrusting a mug of caffa into his hands so that he dropped one of his blasters. She then turned to Oded and handed him his own mug before sitting down on a chair.

"Who's that?" Carth demanded, glaring at the intruder.

"I'm her brother," Oded introduced himself, smirking as he glared Carth down. _So that's where she got it from._ Carth glared back at the Deralian man, civility forgotten.

"Oded, stop trying to intimidate him, and Carth, try being a little nicer," she instructed both men as she took another sip of her caffa. Carth uneasily sat back down on the sofa, and Oded walked over to the chair where Aminta was sitting, and protectively placed a hand on her shoulder. Carth glowered.

"For the gods' sakes!" Aminta exclaimed before jumping out of her chair. "Stop it, both of you!" her shouting woke up Nailah, and she groaned. Turning to Carth, she stuck a finger in his face. "This is all your fault," she muttered before stalking off to lift Nailah from her makeshift crib.

Grinning, Oded sat in the chair that his sister had vacated and watched the scene play out. _That was way too easy._

"My fault?" Carth demanded in a voice that matched Aminta's. Nailah simply wailed louder. "My fault?" he exclaimed again, his voice rising.

"Will you just shut up! You're making her cry even louder," Aminta shouted as she bounced Nailah up and down, rubbing the baby's back.

"I'm making her cry louder? You're the one that's shouting!"

"I am not shouting!"

An especially loud roar rocked the room as Zalbaar emerged from the refresher. ":Calm down humans:"

Vianka's eyes went wide and she ran over to Aminta, burying her face in the woman's clothes. Raeanna woke up too, and her lip started to quiver as she looked at the adults around her. Aminta groaned, and with one last glare towards Carth, she set about tending the children.

Oded grinned, and Aminta glanced over at him. "And stop gloating, Oded. I'm ignoring your part in this only because it's been so long since I last saw you." Oded quickly sobered, and glanced over to Carth. "She's a pistol, isn't she?"

Carth glared at him and took a sip of his caffa. "I'm going to start spiking my drinks," he murmured into the liquid.

——————————————

Late into the night, all was quiet again. Mission had taken the girl's back into the bedroom, and the four had promptly fallen asleep; Zalbaar snored loudly on the chair that he had claimed. Carth was laying restless on the sofa, determined not to eavesdrop on the conversation that Aminta and her brother were having on the kitchen, and instead he focused on counting the seconds between the noises that the Wookiee made.

Behind the closed door, Aminta sat on the kitchen counter with her feet crossed as she spoke with Oded. "How's mum?" she asked softly, staring out the window into the night.

Oded sighed softly, and ran a hand through his hair. "She's alright, I guess. She's never been quite the same since you left."

Aminta nodded slightly as she chewed on her lip. "Yeah, I miss her too," she murmured, glancing down at her hands. "Iliario and Heath?"

Oded smiled slightly. "Iliario's married now, with two kids and one on the way. Heath… well, he's Heath."

Aminta gave a slight smile in memory. "I've seen holos of Liza. Her daughter looks just like her," she said wistfully.

Oded grinned. "She's got baby number two on the way." He then frowned. "How have you seen holos of her? We've all thought that you were dead…"

"I have a contact." Oded raised a brow, and Aminta felt compelled to continue. "He…uh… he owed me a favor, so I asked him to check up on you four. You, Iliario and Heath never seemed to be at home so he wasn't able to glean much information on you guys, but he was able to get me a few holos of Liza and her daughter."

Oded nodded, absorbing the information. "Why didn't you just come home yourself?"

Aminta closed her eyes against a wave of pain, and took a deep breath. "I couldn't," she managed past the lump growing in her throat.

Oded eyed his sister carefully, realizing that the topic was off subject. "What happened to you? Everyone was out of their minds with worry… were you kidnapped?"

Aminta laughed dryly. "In a manner of speaking. I was sold to a man on Nar Shadaa," she told him carefully.

"You were a servant!" he nearly stood up out of his chair with surprise. Never had a highborn woman of Deralia become something so low, at least that he'd heard of.

Aminta gave a half hearted smile. "Something along those lines." Before Oded could question her further, she changed the subject. "So, do you have a girl waiting for you back home?"

Oded laughed. "I'm actually on a prolonged honeymoon."

Aminta smiled and shook her head. "The Sith quarantine; lucky you. So, who'd you finally decide to settle down with?"

"Her names Nadea. Sweet girl."

"Pretty?"

"Yes."

"Busty?"

"Tasi!" he exclaimed, his cheeks going red.

Aminta smirked. "I'll take that as a yes." When Oded mumbled something under his breath, Aminta just grinned. "I may have only been six, but I do seem to remember that all of your dates had that one particular asset in common."

Oded glowered at her, and then his face grew concerned. "Do you love this guy?"

Aminta coughed and stared at him. "What?"

"That guy out there; do you love him?"

Aminta stared at him for a second before it dawned on her. "Carth?" she laughed, "Oh, Force no!"

"But you're making love to him."

"Oh, Gods. Look…"

"Seriously…"

"Oded, I'm not sleeping with him. Mission's gotten that into her head, and she'll tell anyone that'll listen. Which, unfortunately, happened to be you."

Oded glanced over her for a minute before nodding. "What made her think that? I mean, the kid's got to have proof."

Aminta grinned and shook her shoulders. "Maybe."

"What do you mean by 'Maybe?'"

"Well, that depends. Are you willing to talk to me about _your_ sex life?" When Oded flushed and looked to his hands, Aminta smirked. "I didn't think so."

"You're awful, you know that?"

"And you're probably six hours late to meet your wife," she reminded him, and Oded grimaced.

"She's gonna kill me," he muttered. "When she gets over it, I'll have her ask you to dinner."

Aminta paled. "Oded, please, that really isn't necessary…"

"Come on, it'll be fun. You'll be with your family again."

"NO!" Aminta shouted, and glared at him. Seeing his confusion, she softened. "Look, Oded… you have to keep me a secret. No one," her voice caught and she forced steel into it. "No one can know that I'm alive."

"Why?" Oded choked out, gently caressing Ami's cheek. For once, she leaned into the touch and accepted the slight comfort that he offered her.

Aminta bit her lip, and then met his eyes with a hard gaze. "Our family has secrets, Oded. Secrets that no one can ever know about. I'm one of them."

"Who are you protecting?" he demanded, gripping her shoulders.

Aminta swallowed, and then met his gaze. "All of us." Oded stepped back, and stared at his sister for a long moment before finally giving a grudging nod. "You need to go home now, but you can't tell her about me. Not a word."

"Please, I…"

"Give me your word."

Oded hung is head in defeat and nodded slowly. "No one will ever know." He then cupped her face in his hands and gently planted a kiss on her forehead. "But now that I've found you, don't think for one minute that I'll give you up so easily."

Aminta chuckled and kissed his cheek. "Never." With one last, long look, Oded opened the door and entered the Tarisian night.

—————————————

Carth watched in silence as Aminta's face contorted in her sleep, barely restraining himself from waking her up. Maybe this time, the nightmare would go away on its own and she wouldn't end up hurting herself. Maybe… She thrashed about in her sleep, her blankets in a tangled knot at her feet. She began to whimper, and thrashed harder.

Carth pushed his own blankets off of his lap and was making his way to her when she started to scream. Cursing under his breath, Carth scurried over to her and quickly clapped his hand over her mouth so that she wouldn't wake the children. She thrashed harder, and then the tears started to fall.

Aminta bolted forwards as she woke, and Carth nearly gave a sigh of relief. But her eyes were clouded over, and she continued to thrash about as her tears soaked his hand. She then tried to claw his hands away from her mouth as she continued to scream, and Carth winced in pain when she drew blood.

"Ami, stop it!" Carth spoke quietly, but fiercely, giving her a little shake. Gods _above, can she ever sleep through the night?_ He wondered as he shook her again.

Aminta opened her eyes, and took in a shuddering breath. She stopped trying to scream, and the hand dropped away from her mouth. She sat silently for a few minutes, staring at her lap, and trying to concentrate on breathing. She drew her knees to her chest and rocked back and forth, back and forth, whimpering.

Carth watched her suffering mutely, and once she stopped shaking, he rested his hand on her forearm. She jumped, and stared at him with wide, frightened eyes. Carth inched forward, and brushed a strand of hair back from her unusually pale face. She looked like death itself. "Are you alright?" he asked, realizing the stupidity of the question the moment that it was out of his mouth. It was obvious that she wasn't alright…she was shaking like a leaf in the autumn wind.

Aminta drew in a haggard breath, and somehow managed the ghost of a smile. "I'm fine," she managed, but she was shivering, and her voice trembled as she spoke.

Carth picked up his blanket, and wrapped it around her shoulders. She gave him a grateful look, before carefully studying her hands which were lying in her lap. _Why does he always have to see me like this?_

"Do you always have dreams like that?" he asked, gently rubbing her upper arms. She recoiled from his touch for a moment, before subjecting herself to his comfort. She sniffled, and then shrugged.

Carth frowned, and then noticed that a flush was spreading across her cheeks. He smiled slightly, and then gently cupped her chin with his hand, and tilted her head so that she could no longer avoid looking at him. "You don't have to feel ashamed, Ami. It happens to the best of us," he said softly, and Aminta sniffled again, looking back down at her hands.

Suddenly, she leaned forward, and cuddled against his chest. "You know, you can be a real jerk sometimes," she mumbled into his shirt. "But you can be pretty sweet when you feel like it," she said, snuggling closer against him.

Carth shook his head with a rueful smile as he wrapped his arms around her, returning her embrace. "And you can be a real pain sometimes, Beautiful," he said as he settled the blankets around them, "But you know what? You're worth it."

—————————————————-

Mission grinned at Aminta later that morning. "So, you and Carth have fun last night?" she asked, her grin broadening as Aminta scowled. "So, the old man has his uses after all. Who knew?"

"Mission, nothing happened!" she snapped, as she stood before the workbench, upgrading her vibroblades with the spare parts that they had bought the day before. She had awoken to Mission leaning over her, smirking, earlier that morning. Aminta had abruptly realized, to her mortification, that she was still in Carth's arms. The twi'lek hadn't let it drop, insisting that something had gone on between the two, even going as far as to ask if they had created a little baby Carth.

"Well, you two sure looked friendly," Mission said, as she worked on her blasters. The three little ones were still asleep, and Carth was in the refresher. Of course, Mission hadn't let him go without making the snide comment that Aminta should join him. Zalbaar had growled with laughter, looking innocently at the ceiling when Aminta had turned around to glare at him.

"Over-sexed teenagers," she muttered under her breath, as she struggled with the pieces that she was trying to insert. She wasn't at her best this morning. Besides having a sleep plagued by nightmares, she had woken into a living hell, all caused by a kid whose overactive imagination had created something out of nothing. She mumbled a curse as a few of the pieces of the vibroblade dropped to the floor.

"Excuse me, I don't believe I heard you," Mission teased, enjoying tormenting the older woman. It was just so easy… She deftly finished her blasters, and looked over to Aminta's vibroblade. "You need some help?" she asked, smirking.

"Oh, go kiss a Gammorean!" Aminta heatedly told the girl, as she attempted to finish her blades. She was so angry that her hands were shaking, rendering the task impossible to complete.

Mission quickly took the pieces from Aminta's trembling hands, and took over for the woman. "While I'm doing this, why don't you go join Carth in the 'fresher? I'm, sure he'd love your company," she said, ignoring Aminta's stuttered outburst. Finally, the woman gave up trying to talk reason into the twi'lek and flopped down onto the couch, muttering a curse in every language that she knew.

Carth chose that moment to exit the refresher and enter the room. He listened to Aminta's curses and saw Mission's smirk, and knew all at once what the topic of the conversation had been while he'd been gone. "You need to respect your elders, young lady," he said, wagging a finger at Mission before dropping his dirty clothes in a pile next to the rest of his belongings.

Mission shrugged, and grinned up at him from her work. "So, since I couldn't pry any information out of Miss Spoilsport over there, are you willing to admit anything?"

Aminta mumbled something unintelligible under her breath and glared daggers at the girl. _This is what I get for taking in street urchins. I should have known better…_

"Did you happen to hear anything last night?" Carth asked pointedly, raising a brow.

That doesn't mean anything," Mission muttered. "You can be quiet about it, you know."

"You'd have heard something." Carth said with a little grin.

Aminta threw a pillow at his head. "Men and their fracking egos," she snapped. "And you two shouldn't even be talking about that. What are you, Carth, sixteen? One teenager is more than enough. And Mission, if you say one more thing about _something that never happened_, I swear, all of your undergarments are getting thrown in the incinerator."

Mission winced. "Okay, okay, I got it, no more talking."

————————————

As you can probably tell, this was more of a fleshing out of the characters and their personalities chapter rather than a chapter of stuff that actually happened in the game. Hope you don't mind. As always, I love your reviews!


	11. Chapter 11

Okay, I know I totally confused you guys in the last chapter. Sorry about that. Anyways, I don't want to give anything away, but what you need to know is that everything Aminta remembers from before she was six is absolutely, totally, and completely true.

And even after she was six, all of the memories that are shown are true too, but they're warped in setting, clothing, etc. Such as the scene with Vitaria. You'll see the real memory after the Leviathon.

And as for the name… Aminta's been through three different names in her lifetime. I don't want to give anything else away, so that's all I'm saying.

———————————————————

Aminta bit her lip as she swung her legs over the swoop bike. Despite her earlier certainty that she would easily remember how to ride, she was now assailed with doubts. I can't do this, she thought fearfully as she familiarized herself with the bike, biting her lip so hard that it bled. She had done fine in the practice rounds over the past three days, even going as far as to beat some of the Hidden Bek's top scores, but things were different now. This was for real. There was nothing to keep her bike from exploding now that the prototype was installed, no cushioning to break her falls should she crash… _Come on, Jae! Get a grip. You've done this thousands of times, so why are you all worked up over a single race? _

But the strange thing was, she couldn't remember racing anymore; all she could think of was the forbidden practice rounds that she had taken. Nausea gripped her, and she wiped perspiration from her brow before quickly putting her helmet on, her fingers trembling as she securely fastened the straps beneath her chin. _It isn't that hard. You've done this so often you should be able to race in your sleep_, she thought, trying to convince her stomach to cease its rolling. It didn't work- not by a long shot. She was frustrated with herself now, angry that she could so easily be taken over by fear and weakness. _You have people counting on you! You have to do this, for them. Lives are at stake here!_

Almost immediately, her mind cleared and her heartbeat settled to a normal rate. She nearly groaned from her seat on the bike. _You are getting way too attatched to them, Jae._ She looked up towards the platform of the upper city, knowing that her friends were waiting for her in their apartment up there, counting on her. They counted on her far too much. She wouldn't be around much longer, and she didn't want them getting too attatched.

Quickly, she refocused her attention to the powerful Jedi whom she was racing for, praying that she would be a friend and not a foe by the time that all of this was over. Bastila's youth had surprised Aminta when she had first seen the woman; she couldn't have been more than twenty. Her beauty had also come somewhat as a shock to Aminta as well. Aminta had constructed the image of a Jedi to be a fierce, hardened warrior, made beautiful only by their skills in battle. This auburn haired woman, with a complexion as pale and flawless as alabaster, had challenged that view, making Aminta wonder what else she had misjudged. Not that she would amit her mistake to anyone, of course.

Red. The glow of the light made Aminta bite her lip again, and wrenched her mind back to the race. Even though her stomach had settled for the most part, her nerves were still acting up. _Just Breathe_… she thought to herself in an attempt to calm the rest of her frayed nerves.

Yellow. The sudden change of color brought the nausea that had been banished earlier back again in full force. Don't think about what could go wrong. _Just breathe. In with the good air, out with the bad air…_ It amazed her how nervous she became over a single race when she had been perfectly calm while she was one of the top people on the Exchange's hit-list. Of course, she was always nervous before battle, to the point when her knees would begin to shake and her stomach would do thousands of flip-flops per minute, not that it showed. But her nerves always settled down when…

Green. Aminta hit the accelerator, and zoomed out onto the track, her nerves suddenly the farthest thing from her mind. She went over the track expertly, and she was barely conscious of the way that her protective leathers flapped wildly in the wind. It was the same in battle. She was queasy and, quite literally, a basket case before any of the fighting truly began, but after the fight ensued, she was as calm and collected as can be. In a way, she supposed that racing was like fighting. The odds were the same, at least. Death was always the risk that loomed just ahead, if you should fail. She crossed the finish line, and jumped off of the bike, checking it to be sure that it hadn't overheated too much. Seeing that it was in decent condition, she hurried off of the track with a smile, and a wave towards the cameras. Vika and Rae had made her promise to wave at them, and she never wanted to be accused of breaking a promise.

Once off the track, she removed her helmet and sank down into a chair, relieved that the whole mess was over. She had earned one of her highest times yet - 21 seconds- and hopefully, no one would break it. She reached over for a glass on a nearby table and took a swig of water. While watching the rest of the race, her attention constantly wavered back to the Upper City. She wondered if her friends had been as nervous for her as she had been for herself…if their stomachs had fluttered and their palms sweat while watching her on holovision. _Stop that right now! You are developing a complex!_

She pried her thoughts away from her friends and back to the matter at hand. A Vulkar rider was up next, and Aminta sat straighter in her chair, immediately transfixed. Her stomach was tied in knots once again as he raced down the track. Please don't let him beat my time…please don't let him beat my time… He finished a grand total of one second after she had. Sithspit!

Aminta sighed wearily as she pulled her helmet back on and put her drink back down on the table, ready to race again. Despite the fact that she had been on the bike just minutes before, she was once again gripped by nausea as she settled onto the bike. _Don't think… just do._ The lights changed to green, and she took off again, the world around her lost in a blur of light and color as she raced past. She checked the gauges, and her heart skipped a beat when she saw how overheated the bike was getting.

Despite all of her efforts, the bike refused to cool down, She quickly switched gears in an attempt to lower the rising temperature, but it wasn't working. Panicked, she looked over to the finish line. It was close, very close. She looked back to the gauges. She didn't have much time before the bike blew up. She took a deep breath as she increased the speed, and tried hard to follow her earlier advice to herself, and to do instead of think.

She looked to the finish line. _Almost there_. She looked back down at the gauges, and her chest constricted when she saw how overheated it became. She looked back to the finish line, and took a deep breath, holding it until she crossed over. The moment that the finish line was behind her, she jumped off the bike as quickly as possible, rolling at the impact. She was vaguely aware of the bike exploding somewhere behind her, but the medics that suddenly swarmed her drowned out most of the noise.

Gritting her teeth with determination, she ignored the pain in her ribs anf forced herself to stand, shouting at any of the medics that got too close. After a few choice insults and several threats, they retreated and left her to herself.

She was barely able to register the comments being made to her and didn't even bother to look at the cameras that time. She started with surprise when her time was announced - 16 seconds! Aminta's jaw dropped when she saw the time in which she had cleared the track. Never had she gotten so low before. She could feel the stares of her fellow racers, as well as their anger, jealousy, and resignation. With the other racers unable to beat the score, Aminta was announced the winner.

She breathed a deep sigh of relief, and wiped several strands of sweaty hair back from her forehead as she stepped forward to claim her prize, her eyes flickering over to Bastila as she did so. Just then, Brejik stepped forward. Aminta had only ever heard of Brejik, and had never seen him before, so what she saw came as a shock. From what she'd heard about the Vulkars, Brejik had sounded like he was large and tough, able to take on any number of thugs. But the view was very disappointing. He was a short green twi'lek, a tad on the scrawny side. His clothes were padded to give him the illusion of being larger, but in reality they dwarfed him. Peeking from beneath the layers of padding, a small, ugly green head poked out, its lekku curling in anger.

"The Beks cheated! They used a prototype to make their bike go faster than everyone else's, giving them an unfair advantage. Because of this, the Vulkars are withdrawing their share of the prize!" he exclaimed in his nasally voice.

Aminta's eyes widened a fraction, and her mouth compressed into a thin line. Before she could say anything, however, the Swoop Race Official cut in. "Brejik, you entered the woman into the race, and it is too late to withdraw her from it now."

Brejik's hands curled into tight fists, and he glared at the man, an expression that made him look somewhat comical, for his brown eyes bulged from his small head, and the few wrinkles beginning to gather on his forehead suddenly looked like immense rolls. Were it not for the situation, Aminta would have laughed. "The Vulkars can do whatever they want to do, and you are unable to stop me!" He shouted, drawing his vibroblades from their sheaths.

Aminta drew her own blades, ignoring the blazing pain in her side. She had fought through worse situations, and a puny twi'lek was hardly a challenge. Vulkars, attack!" he shouted, and the gang members present rallied to his side.

Aminta did a quick head count and figured the odds. _Oh, Damn_, she thought with resignation, wishing that Carth or Zalbaar was there to help her take down a few of the thugs.

———————————————-

Aminta's friends, however, hadn't been in the Upper City as they had told her that she would be. Rather, they had left three sleeping little girls and followed her down to the Lower City at a discreet distance, stepping into the cantina to watch the race via holovision.

Carth stared at the holoprogram, showing the duel that was about to begin. "How much blasted trouble can one woman get into?" he shouted at the screen, earning a few shocked stares from the other patrons of the Cantina. Oblivious to the scene he was causing, he slammed his fist down on the table so hard that he was sure that he broke a bone.

Mission met the stares of the patrons with a sheepish smile. "He's her lover," she said with an amused shrug. The patrons nodded knowingly, and returned to their business. Mission looked back at Carth, and saw what an awful look he was giving her.

"We. Are. Not. Lovers." he said slowly, emphasizing each syllable as though the twi'lek was just now learning how to speak his language.

Mission gave him a knowing wink, and shrugged. "Don't worry, Carth. She'll handle 'em," she said with all the confidence of youth before taking a sip of her juice.

Carth stared at the teenager. "There must be twenty guys against her!" he exclaimed, his attention quickly shifting back to the screen.

Mission shook her head. "Carth, you're shouting again. Ami has been able to take care of herself just fine. I actually think that she's better with her blades than you are. She'll be okay. Besides, look how many of the Beks are helping her now," she said, gesturing to the screen.

Carth saw that Mission's statement was true, although exaggerated. There were four Beks who had come to Aminta's defense, but they were still outnumbered by fifteen. "I should be down there," he said as he stood to leave.

Mission quickly grabbed his arm. "By the time you get there, the fight will be over, Carth. There's not much that you can do. Besides, as I've said, she's really good. Trust her a little," she said, and Carth winced.

"I do trust her in most things, but not when the odds are stacked so high against her," he said as he jerked from the twi'lek's grasp.

"Look, she had a feeling that you'd do this, and so she made me promise to keep you here. She even said it was okay to make the wookiee sit on you," she said with a nod in Zalbaar's direction. "She'll be fine," she finished. Carth frowned, but sat down again, quickly becoming engrossed with his drink. Mission redirected her attention to the holo-screen relieved that Carth had been dealt with, and that he hadn't put up as much of a fight as Aminta thought that he would. Good thing too, she would have killed me if… She lost her train of thought when a young woman came into the camera's view, and from the lightsaber that she held, Mission was fairly sure that she was the Jedi they'd been looking for. "Hey, Carth? Is that Bastila?" she asked, pointing up at the screen.

Carth choked on his drink when he saw her. The prim, proud young Jedi was dressed in the clothes of a Joy-girl, and Carth wondered what sort of harm they'd had to inflict on her to get her to wear the skimpy outfit. _Just how much do those Jedi robes hide anyway?_ He wondered as he looked at her via holo-vision. He felt Mission looking at him for an answer, and regained his composure enough to do so. "Yeah. That's her," he managed, quickly taking a deep gulp of his ale. "Maybe Ami will stand a chance after all, huh?"

Mission looked at him strangely. "You mean you didn't think she could take 'em all? She could have beaten 'em all without breakin' a sweat!"

Carth just shrugged, and took another swig. The small group quickly became engrossed in the fight, and Carth had to admit, Mission was right. Aminta was holding her own in the battle unfolding, even matching Bastila in her number of kills. Of course, that probably had something to do with the fact that Bastila was a Jedi and was showing some restraint, but… no matter. When the fight was over, the two women were bruised and bloody, but alive. Medics and reporters quickly swarmed them, and then the feed cut out.

Zalbaar nudged Mission. ":We should probably be heading back to the apartments now. Aminta would be very upset if she came here and learned that we did not take the young ones with us:" he said in reference to the three little girls that the trio had opted to leave behind.

"Yeah…" Mission admitted reluctantly, and swung herself off of her stool. "Come on Geezer! I'm sure Ami will kill you if she finds out that you put sleeping powder in their juice," she informed him as she headed towards the door.

Carth stared at the teen. "But I…" Suddenly, he realized why the kids had been asleep so long. "Mission! You didn't!" he exclaimed, but she was already out the door. Grumbling, he laid the credits for their drinks down on the table, and followed the girl out, wondering when it was that he had begun to roll over to the whims of the female species.

————————————————-

When they arrived at the apartment the three little ones were still out, something Carth was ludicrously grateful for. If she would have gotten here and they had told her… He winced at that thought, and was unwilling to pursue the direction in which he had been heading. He sighed and flopped down on the sofa, grimacing when he heard the springs squeak.

Mission rolled her eyes at Carth, and settled down cross-legged on the floor. "Hey, Big Z! You wanna play some Pazaak?" she asked, pulling out her deck from her pocket, and beginning to shuffle them.

":We aren't playing for credits are we:"

Mission laughed. "Nah, we'll play by republic senate rules…unless you wanna play by Nar Shaddaa rules. Although, I don't really think that would be much fun since you're naked all the time anyway," she said as Zalbaar sat down to join her, giving him an impish grin. Carth sighed loudly and shook his head before going to work on his blasters.

Zalbaar gave a growl that sounded suspiciously like a chuckle, but he covered his amusement with feigned outrage. "Mission, Wookiees are never naked; our fur serves as our covering," he informed her as he began shuffling his own deck of cards.

"Yeah, yeah, say whatever you want, but you're still naked. I think that when Ami gets back the two of us should go shopping for an outfit for you…maybe something pink and frilly," she teased as she began to lay down her cards and trying to figure out how she could get her hand to equal twenty. For a kid who was supposedly no good at math, she was a wiz at figures.

Zalbaar just shook his head and he too looked at his cards, companiable silence filling the room. For a time, they all remained just as they were- Mission and Zalbaar playing Pazaak, the girls fast asleep, and Carth at the workbench. Their relative peace was rudely interrupted by the sound of the door opening. Carth quickly looked up from working on his blasters, and had to chuckle with amusement when he saw Aminta enter in. She looked exhausted, but more than that, she looked downright…annoyed.

She had a murderous glint in her eyes, one that he hadn't seen since they had managed to reach something that resembled friendship. Not far behind her, another woman came into view, far more modestly garbed than she had been a few hours prior. "Bastila!" he exclaimed, a broad smile lighting on his features. "Finally, things are beginning to look up!"

"Gee, thanks flyboy," Aminta muttered, and she walked over to the bed where the girls still slept soundly, bending to press a kiss to Raeanna's forehead.

Carth grinned sheepishly. "Didn't mean it like it sounded, Beautiful," he said, and turned away from her to find Bastila scowling at him. He shrugged his shoulders at the Jedi, before growing business like. "What I meant to say was now that we've found Bastila, we can figure out a way to get off this planet."

Bastila nearly choked. "You mean you didn't manage to find a way off Taris?" she demanded incredulously. At Carth's nod she grew livid. "Just what have you been doing this whole time?" she glared him down, and Carth felt frustration grow within him.

Aminta quickly jumped into the conversation, her face flushed with anger. "We were trying to rescue you, remember?" she asked her voice raised to an unnaturally loud pitch, and she furiously brushed a stray lock of hair out of her eyes.

Carth stared at her and cleared his throat, glad that he wasn't on the recieving end of Aminta's anger. _Bastila's gotten to her…and in record time, too!_ Bastila laughed derisively. "That's what you called that misadventure? A rescue?" she sneered. "Maybe things will actually get done properly now that I'm back in charge of this mission."

"You know, for a Jedi you really seem to have a bug up your ass," Aminta shouted. Mission dropped her cards, and Carth just stared. Bastila's eyes narrowed into little slits of anger. She quickly recited the Jedi code in her head. _There is no emotion, there is peace…_

Feeling slightly calmer, Bastila managed to place a serene expression on her face as she gently sank down onto the couch. "I will choose to forgive your impertinence." Her voice unintentionally came out haughty, and Aminta seethed.

"Blasted Jedi poster child," she muttered under her breath, and Carth suppressed a laugh.

Bastila's spine straightened a fraction further at the insult and she stared at the woman. "Excuse me?"

"Are you going to _choose_ to forgive me this time?" Aminta smirked, and Bastila paled.

Carth grabbed Aminta by her elbow and pulled her off to the side. Ignoring the glare she was casting at him, he pulled her close enough so that he could whisper. "Look, I know she's… moody sometimes…"

"Oh? Is that what you call it? I can think of a better word," Aminta glowered.

Carth bit back a grin, but continued as though she hadn't interupted him. "…but she is still our superior, and we have to be somewhat decent to her."

"Getting along with her is like trying to make a pet of a Krayt Dragon," she muttered, throwing a glare towards Bastila.

This time, Carth couldn't help but to let out a chuckle. "Trust me, I know that as well as anyone. I have to work with her, remember? But she is going to be staying with us, and you should probably learn to deal with her."

"Oh, I know how to deal with her," Aminta's voice was dripping with an unspoken threat.

"Not that way. Look, why don't you get out of here for a little while? Clear your head." Carth suggested, wincing at the glare that she gave him.

Aminta let out a deep breath after a second and then grudgingly nodded. "But only if you promise me that you'll take her ego down a notch or two."

Carth grinned. "I'll try."

"Mission, I'm heading out of here. Do you want to come with?" she asked as she headed out the door, not bothering to look over her shoulder at the still seething Jedi. _Whatever happened to them being emotionless? She sure seems to have issues. Oh, Trask, if only you could see how bratty the poster child is…_

Mission quickly stood, and shoved her cards back in her pocket. "Sure, Ami. I'll be right back Big Z," she exclaimed hurriedly before quickly following her friend out the door.

Carth watched the girls go, and shook his head. "You know, Bastila…"

"Jedi Shan," Bastila corrected unconsciously.

"Unless you want to be killed by thugs and bounty hunters, you'll have to get used to being called by your name, not your title," he snapped, but quickly reigned in his temper. "As I was saying, you shouldn't be so hard on her. She worked her tail off trying to get you out of the base, and you should show a little gratitude."

Bastila let out a pent up breath. "Look, Carth, just because you're sleeping with her…"

"Why does everyone think that I'm sleeping with her?" Carth cried out in frustration. "And even if I was, what's the difference? She's a good person, and she did work really hard to get you out of your unfortunate position."

"I got out by myself, thank you. And the two of you should have come up with a plan to get us off of Taris in our spare time. Since I have become the leader once again, things will be done properly, and we will be off this planet with no further adieu."

Carth counted to ten. _1…2…3…She's a Jedi, be nice…4…5…6…Control your temper, Onasi. It'll get you nowhere fast..7…8…oh hell with it!_ He fought to control the level of his voice. "Look, Bastila, being the leader isn't just about ordering your troops around and expecting them to follow your every whim. You can't berate them either, I mean, you have no idea what they might have gone through. Take what our group has been through for instance. Aminta and I managed to fight our way off the Spire but she hurt herself pretty badly when our escape pod crashed. That killed about two days off of our mission. Then, of course, we had to earn some credits so we could do the essentials in life…you know, like to eat, as well as scouring every source available to find any trace of you. Then we fought our way through the rackghouls and sewers of the Under City to find Zalbaar here, and Ami nearly died in the rancor den… There are a thousand more things that happened too, but we really don't have the time to go into everything. To put it simply, we've been working non-stop since we got here. Being a leader means you care about the things your troops went through, and not berating them because things didn't go to plan," he finished with a loud sigh, and sat back down on the couch.

Bastila listened in stunned silence, before bowing her head. "I'm sorry, you're right…of course. I…I've just been through a lot these past few weeks. I know that doesn't give me an excuse for taking my frustration out on you, but…" she sighed softly, and gently massaged her temples with her fingers. "I'm sorry," she finished lamely.

Carth cracked a smile at her. "It's alright; tensions always tend to run high on a mission like ours." He pulled out his comm unit, and spoke into it. "Ami, you alright?" he asked. There was no harm in her coming back now that things with Bastila were settled, so long as she had cooled down as well.

"Just peachy. How's the princess doing?"

Carth winced as Bastila tensed again. "She's fine. You planning on heading back now?"

There was a silence on the other end of the comm, which was finally broken by a sigh. "I guess, although I was going to stop by the cantina on the way back to the apartment," she said, the reluctance to face Bastila again obvious in her voice.

Carth frowned. "What for?" he asked, though he would bet his last credit chip that a large part of it had to do with a certain young Jedi who was listening far too closely to their conversation.

"Besides the obvious?" her voice came through, and Carth chuckled. Bastila shifted her weight to her other foot uncomfortably. "Some merc wants to meet up with me to…discuss things. I think his name was Canderous. Works for Davik."

Carth choked. "You're not serious. You're actually going to meet with some mercenary without me there? What exactly does this guy want to discuss?" he asked, his voice filled with worry.

"Don't tell me you're jealous, flyboy!" Bastila smirked, and Carth chuckled. Zalbaar was suspiciously quiet.

"Not a chance, beautiful. But seriously, what does he want with you?" he asked, his voice grown sober. _Merc, cantina, and a pretty girl alone don't exactly add up to be the best situation._

"I honestly have no idea. His messenger said he was impressed with me for the race and the fight afterwards, and that he has a business deal to make. He also mentioned that this Canderous is a Mandalorian, and that his breed don't like to be kept waiting. Like I didn't know that."

Carth nearly jumped a foot high when he heard the word Mandalorian. "Which cantina are you planning on meeting him in?"

"The one that we went to in the Lower City. Why?" she asked, and Carth could hear the confusion in her voice at his change of tactics.

"I'll meet you at the elevator, okay?" he said, and he quickly pushed his blasters into their holsters. _I might need these. I wouldn't trust a Mandalorian as far as I could throw him, and with all their muscles that definitely wouldn't be very far._

"Carth, you hated that cantina. As I remember, you could never get out the door fast enough. You sure you want to tag along?"

"Positive."_ I really hope that I don't regret this._

——————————————————-

The cantina was every bit as horrible as Carth remembered it to be. Smoke filled the air, and he gagged as much as the first time that he had been there, the speakers hadn't been fixed yet, and apparently, the multitude had become fixated on being as crude, disruptive, and malodorous as possible. _Note to self…never, ever come back to Taris again after you get off of this planet._

Aminta seemed to be in her element though. She fit into the crowd with ease, completely unperturbed by everything around her. She frowned slightly as her eyes scanned the room. _He said that he'd be here. He wouldn't stand me up, would he? Gods, I sound like I'm waiting for a date or something_. Finally, she saw someone who didn't quite seem to belong. _Yep, that'll be him_, she thought, and her suspicions were proved true when he waved her over.

Mission had disappeared sometime between their entrance to the cantina and their walk to Canderous' table, but Carth was still close to her side, despite his discomfort. Canderous stood to greet her, and she was immediately struck dumb by the sight of him. Judging from Carth's sudden tension, she knew that he was intimidated as well. Canderous stood well over 6′5, and was an odd combination of bulging muscles and graying hair. His eyes were sharp and hard, his mouth set into a sneer. He had the stance of a warrior, and she guessed that his obnoxiously large gun wasn't just for show. She reached out her hand to him in greeting, and his large, calloused paw swallowed it whole. "Aminta Jae," she said, introducing herself.

She was intimidated, Canderous knew, but she didn't let it show; that impressed him. Her hand still grasped in his, the mercenary took a moment to study her. She was a slip of a thing…short and skinny; didn't look like she could handle a vibroblade. But she had the bearing and grace of an Echani fighter, and her hands bore the calluses that came from dealing with vibroblades. But over everything, it was her eyes that caught and held his attention. They were the color of the sky, and he suspected that her dark lashes had beguiled more than just one man. That, however, wasn't what caught his attention. It was the fire that burned within them, one borne of determination and strength, which assured him that this young thing was worth his time. He grinned down at her. "Canderous Ordo," he said, and he sat down, motioning for her and her companion to do the same.

"This is Carth Onasi," she said, gesturing to the man that sat beside her. Canderous leered at Carth. He was a soldier, to be sure…that was made obvious through his prim and proper behavior. But he wasn't a warrior, not like the woman was. Canderous quickly concluded that the male sitting across from him wasn't worth his time. He could feel her gaze boring into him, so he gave Republic a gruff sound of acknowledgement.

"Well, now that the pleasantries are out of the way, I think that we should get down to business." he said, and took a deep gulp of his ale.

Aminta nodded. "Yes, I think that would be best." she agreed. "I assume that this has something to do with Davik, and on that note, I really don't like the man. He's a vain, bigoted gammorean pig man. Now, if you consulting me has anything to do with helping him, I should let you know that Carth and I will be leaving," she said. Canderous grinned. The girl got to the point real quick, and didn't mince words. He liked her.

"Actually, I was wondering if you needed a way off planet. And what I have planned will be sure to take Davik's ego down a few notches." he said, and his grin widened as he saw her eyebrows lift with interest.

She leaned closer to him from across the table. "I'm listening."

——————————————

"You are doing what?" Bastila demanded, barely restraining herself from stomping her foot in frustration.

Aminta continued to braid Vianka's hair, unperturbed by Bastila's outburst. "I'm breaking into the Sith base, getting the launch codes, stealing a ship, and then Carth is going to fly us out of the Sith blockade," she said with a shrug, barely glancing up from her work.

Carth snorted with amusement at her bored tone, and earned a scalding glare from Bastila. _Whatever happened to Jedi having no emotion?_ he wondered, absently noting that Bastila looked like a caged Kath hound - not a pretty sight. Bastila began to pace and wrung her hands, her short auburn pigtails bobbing as she did so.

"Do you realize how many holes there are in this plan of yours? Did you even stop to think to consider what you were doing before you concocted this hairbrained scheme with a _Mandalorian_?" Bastila exclaimed, her voice rising with every word that she spoke. _Of all the stupid things that this woman had done in her lifetime, this is by far the most absolute…There is no emotion, there is peace…_ Bastila stopped moving suddenly, and her face became emotionless agian. It was, for lack of a better word, eerie.

Aminta didn't seem to realize the change that had settled over the younger woman, and her eyes flashed as she glanced up from Vianka's hair. "Do you have a better plan, _Princess_?" she snarled.

"I think I'll take Mission and the kids for a walk now," Carth said to excuse himself from the catfight that was sure to ensue.

Aminta looked over to him, and her demeanor changed completely. Her eyes softened, and her mouth curved into a slight smile as she nodded her approval. She quickly tied Vianka's hair, planted a kiss on the little girl's cheek, and pushed her towards Mission. Mission too had seen the change in Aminta, and she, like Carth, didn't want to be around when the pair started screaming any louder than they were already. She took Vianka's and Raeanna's hands in her own, before hurrying out the door after Carth, who was bouncing the baby on his hip. "Bye Ami!" the teen called, and gestured for Zalbaar to join her. The wookiee looked between Aminta and Bastila quickly, before he too decided that the streets of the Upper City were far safter than the apartment.

Aminta watched them go, shaking her head affectionately with a rueful smile. She turned back to Bastila, and her face grew stony again. "As I was saying, if you have a better plan, I'm sure that I'm dying to hear it," she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

Bastila's mouth opened, then shut again. _How can this be? She isn't supposed to be like this…_

Aminta's voice effectively cut into her thoughts. "You don't? I'm so surprised," she said, and clucked her tongue with mock amazement. Bastila's back stiffened at the tone that Aminta was using with her.

"I confess, I do not have a plan. But you must admit, yours is riddled with flaws. How are you going to get into the base, for instance, and what battle strategy will you use while you are within? And how in all the galaxies do you plan to get close enough to that ship to actually manage to steal it?" Bastila questioned with a raised brow, certain that she had caught Aminta at her own game.

Aminta rolled her eyes, and unceremoniously flopped down onto the couch. "I already went over the logistics with Canderous. Davik has a droid on order, and Canderous supplied me with the credits to purchase it. Oh, and he's also given my a healthy potrion of 'Davik's good will,' just in case the shopkeeper, Janis, hesitates in selling the tin can to me," She said the last part with a derisive snort. "The droid has the over-ride codes to the Sith Base, and I figure that a good melee and a few stealth generators should take care of us while we're inside," she finished with a shrug.

Bastila's eyes widened. _I should have realized long ago never to under estimate this particular woman. It appears there aren't as many flaws in her plan after all._ Bastila cleared her throat, and managed a slight smile. "Perhaps I haven't given you the credit that you deserve," she managed, and delicately sat down on the edge of the couch, as far away from Aminta as she could get.

"You think?" Aminta asked, barely sparing Bastila a glance.

Bastila struggled the urge to lash out at the older woman. She was too passionate, too quick to give into her emotions. The council had always warned her that was her upmost weakness. Instead of screaming with frustration, she managed to convey serentiy into her voice. "I am very sorry for how I have treated you, but given the condition that I've been in these past few weeks…" she trailed off, refusing to allow herself to dwell on the matter.

"Yeah, I know." Aminta's voice was gruff, and her head was turned completely away from Bastia. Bastila bit her lip, and looked down at her hands.

"It has been hard, but it still gave me no excuse to be as…" she fumbled for the proper word.

"Bitchy?" Aminta offered. A look of horror flashed accross Bastila's face, and Aminta rolled her eyes with a slight smile. "You Jedi are far too prim and proper," she grumbled, but in an amused tone of voice. "Does 'annoying' suit you better?" she asked lightly.

Bastila smiled slightly at Aminta. Now this was the woman that she remembered. "Yes, thank you. As I was saying, the hardships that I have endured give me no right to be as…annoying as I have been towards you and your companions."

"So, do you promise you won't stick your saber in my gut while I'm sleeeping?"

A look of horror came over Bastila's face. "I had never entertained such a thought! You wouldn't do such a thing, would you?" she asked slowly.

Aminta merely shrugged. "Maybe, but I promise I won't hurt you. I'll even try to be civil."

"That's a relief," Bastila breathed, but perturbed that the woman wasn't above killing someone in their sleep.

"It will be one to Carth, at least. For a man who is so incredibly impossible to deal with, he sure hates tense surroundings," she mused.

Bastila looked over at Aminta warily. "You two are…close?" she asked, a brow raised.

Aminta propped herself up on one elbow, and smirked at Bastila. "I guess you could say that."_She didn't answer my question. Same old girl._ "What exactly is your relationship with him?" she tried again, hoping for a more definitive answer.

Aminta pushed herself up again, and grimaced at the question in Bastila's eyes. "You know what? I'm really sick of talking about my sex life."

Bastila suppressed a chuckle. She could well imagine how that teenage twi'lek…_What was her name again?_…could torment the woman sitting before her. She decided to let the subject drop. "I'm going to make myself some tea. Would you like me to make you a cup?" she asked as she rose from the couch.

Aminta's face screwed up in distaste. "I hate the stuff. A good cup of Caffa is so much better," she said, without moving from her sprawled out position on the couch.

Bastila shook her head, and headed towards the kitchenette. She would have offered to prepare Aminta a cup of caffa, but she had no idea how to work the machine.

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Well, thanks for reading you guys. As always, I absolutely love and appreciate all of your reviews.


	12. Chapter 12

Aminta sighed softly as she stared up from her seat on the balcony into the Tarisian night, and jumped slightly when she felt a hand on her shoulder. "Oh, Oded, it's just you."

"Who did you think I was?" Oded asked with a smile as he handed her a steaming mug of caffa. He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and kissed her forehead before taking a seat next to her, smiling slightly when she snuggled against him.

Aminta shrugged, and toyed with a curl, enjoying the feeling of her loose hair blowing in the breeze. For a moment she had thought that it was Carth, and she wasn't in the mood to talk tonight. Oded hugged her closer, and she allowed herself to draw comfort from his arms.

"How's your wife?" she asked after a few minutes of comfortable silence, and her brother smiled fondly.

"She wonders where I spend my nights," he replied simply with a slight sigh.

Aminta turned in his arms to face him. "Oded…"

"I know. I promised you, and I won't go back on my word," he replied with resignation, and Aminta gave him an appreciative smile.

"So, why'd you come out here?" he murmured, drawing her back into his arms.

"Besides the obvious?" She gestured back to the house where Bastila and Carth could be seen arguing through the kitchen window.

Oded chuckled and nodded. "Yeah. Besides the obvious."

"I was just thinking. About Mom… about home. I'm not really in the mood to be around anyone tonight."

"Why didn't you come back? After you were taking out of service?"

Aminta grew still and rigid in his arms and quickly pulled herself away from him. She walked over to the rail of the balcony and leaned over it, looking down at the flashing lights. "Some things are better left unsaid," she murmured.

"Why?" Oded stood and walked over to her, staring into her eyes. He frowned slightly when she looked away. "If you can't tell your own brother, who can you tell?"

Aminta swallowed hard and blinked back tears. "No one."

Oded heard the loneliness in her voice, and knew instinctively that what she was hiding was life shattering. "You don't have to protect me."

Aminta stared into the night. "I know. But I want to."

The moment was shattered when Carth slammed the door shut behind him and stalked out of the kitchen. "I swear, that Jedi has got to be the most damned frustrating woman to talk to! Who the hell cares how you clean a fracking kitchen counter?" he swore, and then froze when he realized he wasn't alone on the balcony. "Uh… sorry. Do you want me to…"

Aminta shook her head and gave him a weary smile. "No, it's okay. You need as much of a break as I do."

Carth cleared his throat. "You sure I'm not interrupting anything?"

"Nah. It's fine."

Oded looked between his sister and Carth and cleared his throat. "I should probably be getting home now." He tugged Aminta into his arms and kissed her cheek, and then leaned close to her ear. "Even if you aren't sleeping with him, you could do worse," he whispered and laughed when she slapped him playfully.

"I thought you hated him."

"He's good for you," Oded replied with a slight smile, and made his exit. Aminta sighed softly, and sank back down into her chair, covering her head with her hands.

Carth watched her for a few moments before giving her a sheepish smile. "I'm sorry," he murmured, and he took a seat beside her.

"Carth, don't worry about it. He'll be back."

"What did he have to say about you racing on a swoop bike?"

Aminta grinned. "I didn't tell him, and you're not going to either," she instructed, waving a finger in his face. Carth chuckled and shook his head.

"You're something, you know that?"

"Yeah, I'm something alright," she murmured under her breath, and her shoulders hunched. Although it shamed her to admit it, she counted Carth as one of her closest friends, and she was comfortable enough around him to let her guard down. That had to change.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Carth asked with a smile as he slung his arm over her shoulders and gently squeezed.

She had gotten too close… far too close. In all honesty, it terrified her. "I'm a liar, and a thief, and a murderer, and a whore…" She laid it all out on the table, needing to put distance between them.

Carth squeezed her shoulders and gave her s slight smile. "Come on, Ami. Now you're just exaggerating."

Aminta stiffened and pulled away from him. "I never exaggerate." She was breathing hard, and her nostrils flared. Carth hadn't been given a glare like the one she was giving him in a long time, and it shook him to the core.

"You're serious," he said softly as the reality of her situation dawned on him. Aminta turned away, and stared at her hands. Carth licked his lips. "Ami, you're not a bad person."

Aminta laughed bitterly. "Aren't I? I steal from everyone, if not money than happiness. I've killed people just to collect their bounties, and I've slept with men for pay or information. You haven't seen who I really am." It was killing her to do, but she needed to pull away from him before she got too attached.

Carth froze at the cold tone she used, but after a few careful seconds of studying her face, he realized what exactly was happening with her. She had done horrible things, yes. Some things he never wanted to actually hear about…ever. But she wasn't as cold a person as she liked to display herself as, and he knew that the guilt of the things that she had done was eating her alive. He stood up and gently rested his hands on her shoulder. "I have seen who you really are, and you are a good person," he said slowly, emphasizing each syllable.

Aminta started to shake and she stared down at her hands. "Damn you," she muttered softly, and then stared him full in the face. "Damn you!" she exclaimed, glaring at him. She pushed him against the wall, taking his mouth in hers, running her hands over him.

Carth stumbled backwards, suddenly feeling cheap and dirty at the way she touched him. Abruptly, she pulled away and stared him dead in the eyes. "I can do that without remorse. You still think I'm a good person, flyboy?"

Carth swallowed hard, and sat her down roughly on the bench before taking her chin in his hand. "Don't go there with me, Jae. I know you better than you want me to, and you don't like it." He shook her to emphasize his point, "But don't you dare try to push me away."

Aminta stared him down, and then spat on him. Carth stumbled backwards and stared at her with wide eyes before he stormed back into the apartment. Aminta's face collapsed, and she wrapped her arms tightly around herself. "But I have to," she whispered into the night.

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"We should probably be heading to Janice's shop," Aminta pronounced the following morning. Carth noted that she avoided making eye contact with him as she spoke. She'd had another nightmare last night, but she hadn't let him get near her. Carth could see her pulling away from him, and it scared him to no end. She was the first person that he'd trusted in a long time… he only wished that she would learn to trust him as well.

"I will accompany you," Bastila replied softly, smoothing the wrinkles in her clothing as she did so.

"No. You are going to sit back down." Aminta snapped, and Bastila's face turned red with suppressed anger.

Carth quickly intervened before Aminta made herself another enemy. "Look, Bastila. You are too easily recognized on the streets. Plus, Ami's probably going to head directly to the Sith base once she's done with Janice. Imagine how the Sith will react to seeing you."

Aminta glared at Carth, and he stared straight back at her. Finally, Aminta dropped her gaze and looked to Mission. "You're coming. I'm going to need you with me while I'm doing security in the base."

"Really? I get to go?" The teenager's lekku twitched with excitement, and Aminta spared her a smile.

"Yeah, you get to go. Anyway, I don't think we'll need anyone more than the two of us, so…"

"I'm going." Carth crossed his arms over his chest and planted his feet in determination. Vianka looked between the two adults before slinking back to Aminta's side.

Not wanting to cause a scene, Aminta finally gave him a curt nod and quickly grabbed her orange bag off of the sofa. "Mission, will you get me some of the security spikes you made? Oh, and some of the spare parts too." Mission hurried to do as Aminta had asked her, and Aminta stuffed an extra packet of bullets and a handful of med-pacs into the bag.

"Anything I can do to help?" Carth offered, and Aminta continued as if she hadn't heard him. _There is no way I'm letting you do this._ "I believe that I asked you a question."

"And I believe that I chose to ignore you." Aminta didn't even bother to look up from the bag.

Carth's hands clenched into fists at his sides, and he struggled to regulate his breathing. He generally over-rationalized a situation before he acted, but something about this woman brought out the worst in him. So, without thinking, he stalked over to her and grabbed her arm. "It isn't going to work," he hissed in her ear before releasing her.

Aminta felt a twinge of fear as she realized that he wasn't about to let her crawl back into her shell. Only one other person had been so determined when it came to their relationship, and that had ended far from well. She wasn't about to let another person get close enough for her to hurt. Aminta lifted her chin a fraction and glared at him. "Get away from me," she muttered lowly, and Carth was surprised by the venom in her voice.

Startled, he glanced around the room to see that everyone was watching the display with unabashed curiosity. "This isn't over." He turned on his heel and headed towards the workbench, away from the other's prying eyes.

The tension in the room became so thick that a lightsaber could cut through it. Mission was the first to break the silence. "So… This is why the Jedi take a vow of celibacy."

Carth choked and Aminta glowered. "Her undergarments are definitely getting chucked into the incinerator," she mumbled with a glare.

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Carth and Mission hung back when Aminta spoke with Janice, haggled being the better term. "What did you do this time?" Mission asked with a little grin as she looked up at the older man.

Carth merely shrugged and averted his gaze. The little astromech droid didn't look like much, but Carth had to admit that it would be helpful to have around. Aminta seemed to be quite taken with it, as she was holding an animated conversation with the tin-can. _Apparently she likes droids a lot better than she likes people._ He didn't blame her.

"Don't give me that. Tell me what happened between you two," Mission insisted, blocking his view of the droid.

Carth suppressed a sigh, and glanced down at the teenager. She was just a kid, and she didn't need to know his business. However, it would be nice to have someone to talk to that didn't yell at him… and the fact that she'd assisted saving his life several times put them on equal ground. In some ways. "I got too close to her."

Of all of the answers Mission had been anticipating, that was definitely not one of them. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Carth spared Aminta a glance to be sure that she wasn't paying attention. "She has trust issues. Almost as bad as the ones I have. And, I got too close to her for her comfort."

Mission raised an eyebrow and coughed. "By too close you mean…?"

"Emotionally." His voice held some measure of reproach, and Mission backed off.

"She's used to dealing with things by herself," Mission noted after a minute of silence as she watched the older woman. "We're a liability. She doesn't want us to get hurt."

Carth turned to stare at the girl, and Mission gave him a self conscious grin. She was sorry that she had said anything at all, but it was too late to turn back now. Zalbaar was right, she didn't know when to keep her mouth shut. "But she's closest to you, so she's putting as much distance as she can between you and her." Mission shifted to her other foot nervously. "Probably had a bad experience with guys too," she added as an afterthought.

"Yeah. All of the above," he sighed. The conversation was getting a bit too serious, and so he tried for levity. "Where'd you get so smart?" he grinned.

"Street rat, remember?" she replied cheekily.

Carth chuckled and shook his head as he gave the girl a half-hug. "You are one in a million, Mission. I don't think I've ever met a teenager quite like you."

"Well, what other teenager has a name like Mission?" At this Carth let out a full blown laugh, earning a nervous glance from the shopkeeper and a glare from Aminta. Mission just grinned.

"And Carth is supposed to be a good name?"

"Good enough… for a geezer."

"Watch it kid," he replied with mock severity. Mission grinned up at him.

"Time to head out," Aminta interrupted them as she headed out into the Tarisian sunlight, swiftly followed by the little droid. Mission gave Carth a look before quickly following her, and he hung behind. Maybe all Aminta needed was a bit of girl-time. Not likely, but possible… remotely possible… _very_ remotely possible.

"He's awesome! What's his name?" Mission asked as she caught up to Aminta.

"T3-M4," Aminta replied without blinking. _Sithspit! She's starting to turn on me too!_ Mission thought, and frantically wracked her brain for a way to draw her friend back to her.

"He's a cute little guy, isn't he?" Mission replied with a grin. "We should call him T-3. Drop the M4… that's too big a name for something so little."

Aminta cracked a grin, and Mission inwardly sighed with relief. "T-3 sounds good enough. What do you think?" She turned her attention to the droid.

"Beep doo beep!"

"He says he likes it," Aminta translated, but Mission waved her off.

"I can understand the little guy," Mission replied with a grin as she patted the droid on its 'head.'

"So… exactly how much trouble do you think we're going to get into when we're in the base?" Mission asked, and Aminta shrugged her shoulders.

"A lot."

Mission coughed and subconsciously touched her blasters. "Okay…This'll be…fun?"

Aminta chuckled. "It will certainly be something to tell your grandchildren about," she replied with a slight smile. "Besides, the guys have it coming. I do hope that Yun will be there," she mumbled under her breath, and Mission perked up.

"Who's Yun?"

_The kid doesn't miss a beat, does she?_ "A son of a schutta who decided that groping was the way to a girl's heart. Didn't even bother with the chocolate."

Mission grinned. "I'll help you put some lead in his gut."

Aminta smiled and shook her head. "Bastila would kill me for corrupting you. If I have to hear one more lecture about the dark side, I swear I'm going to turn her over to the Sith. I'm not even a Jedi! I don't see why she has to preach to me," she grumbled.

"Who cares about Bastila? She's nothing but a hoity toity brat."

Aminta smirked. "I would definitely agree."

"Beep dwooo?"

Mission laughed. "Trust me T-3, you'll know her when you see her. She's kind of hard to miss."

"Beep doo beep?" T-3 came to a halt outside of a facility, and Aminta sauntered over to the door. Running would simply bring unwanted attention.

Examining it, she grinned at the droid. "You're right. It is the Sith base. Think you can crack the codes?"

"Beep!" T-3 hurried over to the door, and his little mechanical arms went to work.

"Everything okay?" Carth came to stand behind the trio, and Aminta gave him a short nod. _Great, we're back to square one._ "So, it was worth all those credits, huh?"

"He," Aminta corrected as she studied every move that the droid made. People underestimated the little things. You could learn a lot by watching one.

"He?"

"Yes. He's not an 'it.'"

"It's a droid!" Carth exclaimed.

"And you're a pilot."

_She's being impossible! Well… at least she's talking to me. That's a good thing._ "But I am a male. That isn't," he insisted, crossing his arms over his chest.

"How do you know?"

"Well, I know that I'm a male because I have some key parts to my anatomy that you don't," Mission stifled a giggle and Aminta rolled her eyes. "And that thing over there doesn't."

"Stop insulting him. You're going to hurt his feelings." Aminta folded her own arms over her chest and glared at him.

Mission stifled a laugh, and Carth sighed. "_It_ doesn't have feelings! _It_ is nothing but a combination of wire, metal, and circuits!"

"_He_ does so!"

This time, Mission let out a full blown laugh. "This is pathetic. You two are arguing of the gender of a droid. This should so be sent to the Galaxy's Funniest Home Holovoids!"

"Beep doo beep!" T-3 chirped, and Aminta turned to her companions.

"He's in. Quit laughing, Mission, and let's get moving," she instructed before heading to the door, swiftly followed by Mission, T-3, and Carth.

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Aminta was exhausted. Exhausted enough to wonder why she even bothered to continue fighting. Mission lay in a crumpled heap on the floor to the left of her, and if Carth's breathing was any indication, he'd be joining the teenager soon.

_So this was the last thing Trask saw,_ she mused as a red lightsaber came within inches of her belly. She lifted her blade to block the blow, and her arms trembled at the impact. The Dark Jedi she was fighting had told her that she was force sensitive. She didn't feel very force sensitive right now. She was too tired to feel anything but pain.

She looked to her right, and smiled grimly at the little astromech droid. T-3 had certainly proved that he was worth his salt. The droid set off another round of shots, only two of which found their mark. The lightsaber deflected the rest of them.

Carth fired his blasters as well, and was pushed back into the wall for his trouble. Aminta saw him slump unconscious to the ground out of the corner of her eye. She gripped her vibroblades tighter so that her knuckles turned white as she faced the dark Jedi again. The guy had amazing stamina.

He leered at her and went on the offensive, his blade swirling in a display of blood red. Aminta dug deep inside herself and found the strength to continue, lifting her own blade to block every blow. Once he had concentrated on her, T-3 was able to land a few more shots to the Jedi's back, causing him to roar in indignation and throw his lightsaber at the astromech droid.

_There is no way I spent three thousand credits on that thing only to have it destroyed within the first few hours of ownership!_ Without a second's hesitation, she threw her own blade at the one the Sith had tossed, and both weapons clattered to the ground.

The Dark Jedi threw a force push at her, but Aminta shrugged it off and lunged for his lightsaber as he called it to his hand through the force. Catching it, she rolled to break her fall, and stood quickly, his lightsaber in her hand. She'd never held one of them before, and she felt a moment of awkwardness as she tightened her grip.

The dark Jedi laughed at her, and summoned the saber to his grip with his hand while throwing a stasis over Aminta. Although her knees were weak with exhaustion, she brushed his powers away, cursing him under her breath. While he had been occupied, T-3 shot another round of shots at him, which only served to divert his attention.

While his head was turned, Aminta crept forward and thrust his own lightsaber through his heart. Blood bubbled from his mouth, and Aminta stared into his eyes as he fell. There was surprise there, anger, and a glimpse of respect. Then, there was nothing as the last spark of life left them.

Before the adrenaline faded, Aminta dug through the Sith's robes and pulled out the launch codes. Then, no longer forced to fight, Aminta slumped to the ground and fought to keep conscious. T-3 wheeled over to her, and gently prodded her. "Beep doo?"

Aminta managed a weary smile. "You did great."

"Beep!" He chirped happily, and Aminta examined him. He would need to have a lot of repairs done when they got back to the apartment since there weren't any repair kits left in her bag. Her eyelids were heavy, but she still had to get out of the base… with Carth and Mission. Somehow, she drew the strength to crawl over to her friends. Mission had a nasty gash on her side, and Aminta felt a twinge of remorse for dragging the teenager into the mess. Carth was in much of the same condition, although his head looked like a rancor had used it as a chew toy. _Flyboy, you really got yourself in over your head this time._

Digging through her bag, her heart nearly stopped. There were two medpacs left. Two medpacs and three people who needed serious medical attention. _Don't think, just do._ Quickly, she injected the medpacs into her friends and left her own wounds to bleed freely. She waited until she saw them begin to regain consciousness, and then she allowed herself to fall into darkness.

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Carth sat beside the cot in Zelka's office as he waited for Aminta to wake up. Mayenna had greeted him at the door when he had arrived, and had nearly screamed when she saw the condition that the woman was in. He didn't blame her. He had nearly screamed himself when he woke up to find himself in a pool of his friend's blood.

Her wounds had been extensive… so extensive, in fact, that Zelka had been surprised that she had survived. Neither he or Mission had been injured nearly as badly as she was, and yet she had used the last of the Kolto on them. Either she was very brave or very, very stupid. Carth suspected that it was a combination of both.

An eyelid flickered, and Carth tightened his grip on her hand. Hopefully, she wouldn't have any scarring. Zelka had used enough kolto on her to ensure if there was any, it would be minimal. Although he knew she was scarred already.

Her back bore several, some of which looked like they had come from a whip. He had seen them back when the crash had happened, but didn't allow himself to dwell on it since he had barely known her. But now that he did, and he had seen them for a second time, white hot fury raced through his veins, matched only by curiosity. How many secrets did one woman have?

Aminta moaned softly, drawing him from his dark thoughts. He gently brushed a strand of hair away from her face and her eyes fluttered open. "Carth?" she murmured softly, and he let out a breath that he hadn't known he'd been holding.

"Right here, beautiful." He brushed his fingertips over her cheek, and smiled slightly as she sighed. Hopefully she wouldn't attempt to put any more distance between them.

"Where's Mission?" she mumbled, too tired to care that her words were slurring.

"I sent her back to the apartment a few hours ago. You gave us quite a scare." Carth didn't bother to tell her that Mission nearly had to be sedated before leaving Aminta's side. Mayenna had finally dragged the girl back to the apartment complex to get some rest.

"T-3?" She tried to sit up, but a wave of nausea overwhelmed her and she sank back down onto the pillows.

Carth tried not to let his concern show on his face. "He's re-charging in the corner. Mission will need to fix him up when we get back home."

Aminta cocked a brow. "Home?"

Carth flushed. "It feels like home," he mumbled finally, and Aminta laughed slightly.

"Yeah. It does, doesn't it?" She closed her eyes for a second, and then forced herself into a sitting position. "We're going to go back there now," she declared as she swung her legs over the side of the cot, ignoring the wave of dizziness that nearly overwhelmed her.

"No, we're not," Carth replied easily, placing her legs back onto the cot. Aminta glared at him fiercely before jumping off the bed, and he caught her before she slumped to the floor. "First of all, you're two weak," he put her back on the bed despite her protests. "And secondly, there's the issue of your lack of clothing. He pushed the blankets over her body to cover her, and Aminta looked down in surprise.

"I'm dressed," she insisted as she tried to maneuver herself past him off the cot.

"In your undergarments," he replied dryly as he blocked her path. "You need to rest," he said forcefully as he tried to push her back down onto the pillows.

"If you want me to rest, take me back to the apartment," she persisted, crossing her arms over her chest.

"No."

"I'm compromising here, Onasi."

"No you're not."

"I'm going to rest! But only if you bring me back."

"Absolutely no way. You need medical attention."

"A nurse lives right down the hall," she insisted.

"A very young nurse," Carth corrected her, and Aminta glowered. There was a minute of silence, and then her gaze dropped to her lap. Carth smiled slightly, believing that she had finally given up.

"The girls need me," she whispered, and Carth frowned.

"What girls?"

Aminta glanced up at him, exasperated. "Vika, Rae, Nai? You know. The girls!"

Carth grinned sheepishly. "Oh, them." _Great, Onasi. You forgot about the kids. She's gonna love that._ "They'll be fine without you for a night."

Aminta's hands clenched into fists. "Vika won't," she muttered through gritted teeth, and Carth frowned as he gently rested his hands on her shoulders.

"Why?" He gently touched her cheek, and she pushed his hand away. _She's definitely feeling better._

"She has nightmares," Aminta replied simply, and Carth gave her a slight smile.

"So do you."

"They're about the men who molested her." Carth froze, and stared at Aminta for a second as he felt his temper rise. The girl couldn't be older than nine years old, and she was already filled with a lifetime of baggage.

"I am going to kill her mother," he muttered after he drew in a ragged breath. What woman could allow her own daughter to be used in such a way? Although Aminta hadn't said it, Carth knew in his bones that the woman had been selling her daughter.

"I'm killing her. You can mutilate her body," Aminta murmured with vehemence, and Carth swallowed. "I have to be there for Vika. She has to know that someone cares, that someone understands."

Carth frowned, and gently rested his hands on her shoulders. "This goes deeper than you're letting on," he murmured, and then he stared into her eyes. "That's what happened to you, isn't it? Your father sold you like her mother sold her." He felt as though he'd been punched in the gut as she stared straight back at him. The look in her eyes told him everything that he needed to know.

"Ami," he breathed as he gently cupped her face with his hands. She shuddered beneath his touch, and leaned her cheek against his hand, allowing herself to draw comfort from him. "You have nightmares about it too, don't you?"

Aminta drew back from him and blinked once before looking away. "I have to be there for her," she repeated firmly, and Carth finally nodded.

"I'd give you your clothes, but…" he gestured to the incinerator, and Aminta winced. "Zelka has a smock that you could wear."

Aminta shuddered at the thought of donning the shapeless, green robe, but nodded anyways. "Okay," she replied softly as she stared down at her hands. Carth knew more about her past than anyone alive at the moment, and it shook her to her core. Not even Oded… no, Oded could never know.

"Here," Carth said gently as he handed her the smock, turning his back to afford her privacy.

Aminta laughed bitterly and shook her head. "I'm not a child anymore, Carth. You don't have to treat me like one." She pulled the smock over her head and swung her legs over the cot again. When she went to stand, her legs gave out.

Carth hurried over and caught her before she fell. Despite her protests, he swept her into his arms, cradling her head against his shoulder. Aminta stiffened and tried to wriggle free of his grasp. "I told you not to treat me like a child! I'm not made of glass, Carth. I'm not going to shatter."

"But…"

"No buts! You've known me a lot longer than you've known about my childhood. Have I ever been anything less than capable?"

"No…"

"Have I ever acted like I was a child?"

"Um…"

"Nightmares not included."

"No."

"Then don't treat me like one just because you found out the truth! Now put me down. I can walk on my own!" She demanded, squirming in his grasp.

"You're injured. You can barely stand, let alone walk. The deal is that if you want to go back to the apartment, I carry you there." His tone left little room for argument.

Aminta finally slumped in defeat. "Fine," she muttered. Now that she no longer had to fight to get her way, her eyelids were growing heavy, and it became increasingly difficult to stay awake. Carth noticed, and shifted her in his arms so the her head rested against his shoulder again.

"It's okay, Ami. You can go back to sleep."

Aminta suppressed a yawn. "I'm not tired," she insisted stubbornly, her words beginning to slur.

"Now you're acting like a child," Carth chuckled, and Aminta felt the vibrations in his chest. It was a pleasant feeling…comforting. And it made it all that much harder to stay awake.

"I'll be a deadweight," she protested feebly.

Carth frowned lightly. "You're too light for it to bother me. I've told you before that you're too…" He stopped himself abruptly when he saw the weariness in her eyes replaced by a brief flash of anger. "But I'm not going to bring that up now," he concluded.

"Good," Aminta murmured, her eyes sliding closed. "Because I really don't feel like arguing right now," she admitted as she adjusted in his arms to get more comfortable. And then she was out.

Carth chuckled lightly, and he pushed open the exit door with his back so as not to disturb her. "I'm taking her home Zelka," he called over his shoulder at the doctor, who scrunched his face in disapproval but didn't object. He knew what a bad patient Aminta was anyways.

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Mission was the first to greet Carth at the door, and for once, the teenager didn't have a smart remark ready. "Is she okay?" the girl asked anxiously, wringing her hands in worry. It bordered on amusing how concerned the girl was.

"She's stubborn, tired and weak, but yeah. She's fine," Carth replied, heading for the bedroom. "You mind if she uses your bed tonight?" Carth asked, glancing over at Mission.

Mission shook her head emphatically. "Not at all. I'm not tired anyway. Big Z and I could probably play a few card games." Mission peeked over Carth's shoulder, and sighed with relied when she saw Aminta's face. "She's not white anymore," she noted.

Bastila came up behind the pair, and frowned slightly when she saw Aminta. "I can heal the rest," she murmured as she followed them into the room. Her frown deepened when Carth laid Aminta down on the bed and gently traced her cheek with his thumb before drawing back.

"That would probably be best. Especially since I've got the feeling that she's dead set on going to meet that merc tomorrow," Carth grumbled, clenching his fists at his sides.

A corner of Bastila's mouth turned upwards slightly. "You don't approve," she noted wryly.

"I don't like the Mandalorian," Carth clarified. "I don't trust him."

"You don't trust much, do you Geezer?" Mission piped up as she dug through one of Aminta's bags. "You'd think the girl would own a pair of decent pajamas," she grumbled under her breath.

"She can use one of my shirts," Carth replied, pulling one out of his own bag. "What exactly is in there?" Carth asked after a moment's hesitation, gesturing over to what Mission had been digging through.

"Datapads, datapads, and more datapads. One looks like it's a journal, a few look like they were meant for correspondence, a lot are data novels, and the rest are all random junk. There's a bunch of holos in here too," Mission added upon further inspection, and she dug deeper into the bag. "And there's some sketchbooks," she added with some surprise.

"Really? I didn't know that she drew." Carth glanced over at the sleeping woman, and Bastila scowled.

"Must you be such children? Going through her things when she's asleep?" Bastila kneeled beside Aminta's bed and threw one last glare at the pair.

Mission made a face at her, and continued going through the bag. "It's not like we're opening anything. Oh, look! A jewelry box! I didn't think that Ami would really be one for jewelry."

"All women like jewelry," Carth noted dryly, and Bastila stiffened and drew her hands away from Aminta.

"Do not attempt to generalize females, Captain." Carth ignored the tone of authority in her voice and turned to Mission. Bastila bit back another angry retort and refocused her concentration on healing Aminta.

"I wonder what's in here," Mission murmured as she picked the lock and opened the case.

"Mission, don't you think that the case was locked for a reason?"

Mission waved him off and then soft music floated through the room. She recognized the melody from a lullaby that Aminta hummed to Nailah to get the baby abed. Carth glanced anxiously over at Aminta, and was relieved to see that she hadn't stirred.

Slowly, Mission sorted through the things that were in the case, but there were very few jewelry pieces. There was a pretty locket, encrusted with pearls and chip gems. Mission opened it and whistled low.

"What?" Carth asked, overcome by curiosity.

"This guy is hot," Mission murmured, glancing over the picture. Unable to stay away, Carth knelt on the floor beside Mission and looked into the picture. The guy was attractive, he had to admit. Brown hair, light brown eyes, and built like a rock. The kind of body every guy worked hard to get. And on the other side of the locket was a picture of Aminta.

Carth's breath caught as he stared at it; it looked nothing like how she looked now. Sure, technically it was the same woman, but she wasn't underweight in the photo, and she was sporting a bright smile. He had never seen her look so happy. Instead of looking world-weary and bitter, she appeared youthful and… Gorgeous.

Mission carefully closed the locket and looked on the back. A date was inscribed, and Mission blinked hard. "Whoa. This must have been a family heirloom or something. It's two hundred years old!" she exclaimed in surprise, and carefully placed it back in the case.

"I have a sneaky feeling that we weren't supposed to see that," Carth murmured, and Mission shrugged.

"Me and Ami went snooping through your stuff the other day. Now you two are even."

"You did what?" Carth demanded, and Mission grinned.

"Don't worry. We didn't find anything that was _too_ embarrassing." Her attention returned to the box, and she frowned as she picked up a small square item with a tube attached to it. "What the heck is this supposed to be?" she mumbled, and squinted at it. Realization dawned on her, and she quickly dropped it back into the box and snapped the lid closed.

"What? What was it?" Carth demanded, and Mission swiftly locked the box before he could reach it.

"You were right. We weren't supposed to see the stuff in there." With that, the teenager hurried out of the room, leaving a bewildered Carth in her wake. No wonder Ami was so good around kids… Mission had picked up her sonogram and the baby's ashes.

———————————————

Aminta crossed her legs and took a deep swig of her ale. "I believe I have something you want," she pulled the datapad bearing the launch codes from the sith base out of her bag and placed it on the table between her and the merc.

The Mandalorian reached for it, and Aminta drew it out of his grasp. "You have to deliver your end of the bargain."

Canderous grinned as he studied the woman. She was tired, but she was hiding it well. He also had to admit that she was smart; she kept the codes to herself until he fulfilled his end of the bargain. He had given her his word, but he knew that meant squat to her.

Her little boyfriend had joined them as well, and the man practically hovered over her and listened to nearly everything she told him to do. He was a wimp, and for the life of him, Canderous couldn't understand how Republic had managed to keep her interest. Republic glared at him, and he leered at the smaller man.

Carth tightened his grip on his glass at the look that the merc was giving him. He hadn't really wanted to come, but he had to be sure that Aminta would be alright. She had been in a near death situation only the night before. The Mandalorian downed the rest of his ale in one gulp and looked over at Carth with a challenge in his eyes. Carth stiffened, and Aminta grabbed his glass before he could do the same.

"So, what do you have for me?" Aminta cut into the silent challenge, glaring at both men briefly. Canderous smirked.

"A lot more than Republic has," he replied, gesturing towards Carth. Carth's face went red, and he set his jaw. Canderous grinned.

"That isn't what I meant, and you know it," Aminta snapped, and Canderous turned his attention back to the woman. She was getting annoyed, he could see it plain as day. But then she wiped her face of all expression, and he was left with an unsettled feeling in the pit of his stomach.

He crossed his hands behind his head and leaned back. "Don't worry, I got you your meeting with Davik. We'll snag the ship after you're in. Is your pet coming with you?" he gestured to Carth, and Aminta had to clamp her hand over his arm to restrain him.

"That a problem?"

"Not if we tell Davik that he's your joy boy. But then, of course, Davik might think less of you for getting involved with a weak man…"

"That's it!" Carth exclaimed and lunged at Canderous, swinging his fist at the merc's jaw. Canderous blocked it, and landed a punch to Carth's gut, who hunched over for a second in pain.

"Stop this! Both of you!" Aminta shouted from the sidelines, where a crowd of people had gathered. "Idiots, the lot of them," she muttered under her breath.

The men ignored her, and Carth faked a punch to Canderous' gut. While Canderous blocked that, Carth landed a punch to the merc's chin. Canderous whirled on Carth and head butted him, and only Carth's training as a soldier kept him upright.

"I've had enough," Aminta muttered, and picked up Carth's still full glass of Tarisian ale. The fighting stopped abruptly when the liquid sprayed over both men. Now that she had their full attention, Aminta stalked over to them and grabbed both men by their shirts. "Your acting like children!" she shouted as she dragged them back to the booth and shoved them down.

The fight over the crowd dispersed, leaving them alone again. She dug through her bag and tossed each man a medpac. "I should make you suffer," she muttered as she watched them take out the kolto.

Canderous chuckled and tossed the empty wrapper on the floor. "Sorry about that," he apologized to Aminta, and the woman nodded grudgingly. "If he were a warrior I'd apologize to him too, but you're the only one worth anything." Carth's chin lifted a fraction, and Aminta glared at him.

"Glad you think that I'm a warrior," she replied dryly, and took a deep gulp of her ale. "You two are going to drive me to drink," she muttered, and Canderous guffawed. Carth just scowled.

Suddenly she sobered, and glanced over at Canderous. "Do I have your solemn vow that you will get us off of this rock alive?" she pulled out a dagger, and cut her palm without wincing, and then she extended her hand out to him.

Canderous grinned. _So, she's familiar with Mandalorian traditions._ He took her dagger and did the same to his palm before grasping her outstretched hand. "Vagow," he replied, and squeezed her hand tighter.

He was surprised when her grip intensified as well, and she smirked. "Vagow." She repeated, and Canderous smiled genuinely.

————————————————-

Well, this was slightly shorter than the chapters I've been doing recently, but I've been suffering writer's block. So, oh well. Well, Carth and Canderous had their fight, and I had a lot of fun writing their little spat. Canderous is probably the best character in the game… besides Atton and Mission.

Thanks for reading, and please review!


	13. Chapter 13

"This place is huge," Carth said in wonder as he craned his neck. Huge was in fact, an understatement. Cavernous would probably be a more appropriate word. The main hall of Davik's Estate towered far over the trio's heads, and the ceiling was made of glass so that the room seemed to extend up into the heavens.

"Its ostentatious," Aminta corrected him as she glanced around. She had counted at least three water fountains, and exotic birds flew overhead. _Who in the seven hells purposefully traps birds in a house? The guy's demented._ The floors were polished so that she could see her reflection, and plants imported from nearly every planet turned the room into a near forest.

Canderous chuckled gruffly. "Davik has rather outlandish tastes."

Aminta stiffened, and her hands clenched at her sides as she remembered the little girls. "I'd say," she muttered, and Carth gave her a sideways glance. "Is he a nature freak?" She asked after a few tense moments, and Canderous shook his head ruefully.

"He thinks of himself as a hunter."

"Let me guess. His body guards shoot down the prey and he takes the credit?" The corners of Canderous' mouth quirked upwards, and Aminta sighed. "Figures."

"So… where are we supposed to meet this guy?" Carth asked after a slight pause, and Canderous smirked at him. Carth strove to keep his temper in check.

"The throne room."

Aminta laughed. "He thinks pretty highly of himself, doesn't he?"

"Very egotistical," Canderous agreed. Carth felt slightly insulted at the obvious bonding occurring between Aminta and the Mandalorian, and he strove to ignore them.

"This guy married?" Aminta asked, surveying her surroundings.

Canderous grinned. "You interested?"

"Funny," Aminta responded dryly. "Just curious if he was or not."

"Yep. The Missus lives on an entirely different floor," he winked at her, and Aminta laughed. "Married him for his money, no doubt. He married her because… I have no idea why he married her. Why'd you want to know?"

"Just wondering how any woman could live in a place that's decorated like this."

"You should see her rooms. They're much worse," Canderous replied with a dry chuckle, and Aminta shook her head.

"They got kids?"

"There's a few twi'lek half-breeds that run around the place, but none of the women have ever pinned him down as the father. Everyone knows though."

"Classy guy."

"Very," he grinned. "Speak of the devil," he muttered under his breath. Davik strode in, and Aminta winced at the hideous purple color of the man's armor. It was rivaled in intensity only by Carth's flight jacket. And beside him was a short man in goggles. _That imp is supposed to be a bodyguard?_

"Canderous!" Davik's voice was cultured, and was practically dripping with condescension. "This must be the mercenary that you told me about," he glanced over Aminta briefly before turning his attention to Canderous.

"What happened to you working alone?" The little man asked snidely, and Canderous stiffened.

"Watch how you speak to me Calo. Last I heard I still had more kills than you."

"Be very careful, Canderous. You're Davik's top dog now, but it's just a matter of time."

Davik glanced over at a smirking Aminta nervously before interrupting with a slight smile. "My two best men shouldn't be spending all of their time arguing. It's bad for business," he reasoned. Calo and Canderous stood still and glared at each other.

"Your name?" Davik directed his attention to Aminta.

"Vi," she shifted her weight to her other foot, and glanced Davik over. "Nice suit."

Davik grinned genuinely, and turned to Canderous. "I like her. She's small, but she's a pistol." He turned his attention back to Aminta. "Is there a last name to go with that?"

"Eirye." She spoke only when spoken to, and spent the rest of her time inspecting her surroundings. Her reactions coupled with the leather pants and skimpy top she was wearing caused her to really look the part she was playing.

"Does he have a name?" He looked past Aminta to Carth, who stood apart from the other relatively shady figures gathered in the hall. He stood erect as a soldier was trained to, and Aminta winced inwardly. _Maybe I should have made him stay at home._

"Ex-soldier. Insignificant," she replied with nonchalance.

Davik grinned knowingly. "We must all have our fun," he smirked and turned away from Carth, who was flushing a deep red.

Canderous stifled a laugh, and winked at Aminta, who merely raised her eyebrows in response. _Damn, the girl's good!_ He then turned and leered at Carth, who had been effectively dismissed from any further conversation.

"Would you like a tour?" Davik asked Aminta, who cocked her head slightly to the side.

Finally, she yawned. "Might as well." Her indifference would prove valuable later on, she knew. So long as Davik believed that she didn't care about what was going on, he wouldn't suspect her of stealing his ship.

Davik gestured her to follow him, and began walking briskly down the corridors. How anyone could stand to have a house so large was beyond her. As they walked, Davik pointed out his favorite features of his monstrosity of a home… a statue sculpted out of flowing water (the story of how that occurred had been long winded and made Aminta believe she was going to die of boredom), one of the last four remaining members of a species of aves, and a light fixture made entirely of a dead Jedi's crystals.

When they reached the hangar, Aminta barely glanced the plane over. "This is my baby," Davik informed her with pride as he traced the ship's every curve with his eyes. "It doesn't look like much, but its the fastest ship on this side of the galaxy."

"I used to own one that looked a lot like it," Aminta replied dismissively, and Davik's spine straightened slightly.

"This ship is one of a kind," he insisted, and Aminta frowned slightly.

"Men and their ships," she grumbled under her breath. Davik raised an eyebrow, and she was compelled to continue. She gestured to Carth, who had been staring at the ship with open excitement. In order to dim suspicion regarding his behavior she said, "Take him for instance. Ships are the _only_ thing that make him tick."

Canderous snorted, and Davik chuckled. Carth glared at her upon hearing the veiled insult. "I have kept you long enough," Davik proclaimed and clapped his hands together.

"Canderous will escort you to the guest quarters, and he will stay there with you," he informed her with a pointed glance at his employee. Canderous bristled, abut nodded smoothly. "Do not attempt to leave the guest wing or disturb any of the other guests."

Aminta frowned and crossed her arms over her chest. "Why not?" she demanded, and Davik stared her down.

"If you're going to work for me, you had best learn to take orders without question." There was an unspoken threat in his voice, and Aminta backed off. Davik smirked and turned to his goggle eyed friend. "Come on, Calo. Let's leave the Mandalorian to his new partners."

"Bastard," Aminta muttered under her breath once the men had gone, and Canderous nodded in agreement in his gruff way.

"But he's a bastard that you don't want to mess with. His influence extends far beyond Taris," Canderous warned her, and Aminta nodded reluctantly.

"I got it. Play nice." She glanced over to where Davik had made his exit. "For now."

Canderous grinned. "I promise you, you can help me take him down when the time comes. So long as you let me kill him."

"Deal."

Carth frowned from where he stood behind the pair, and attempted to divert them from the subject of bloodshed. "So, where exactly are the guest quarters located?"

Canderous sneered and crossed his arms over his chest. "That's for me to know and you to find out."

Aminta glared at the pair of men. "I don't understand how I can get along with both of you, but you two go at each other's throats the instant anyone says anything."

Carth merely glared at Canderous, who smirked in return. Aminta rolled her eyes. "Come on, Canderous. Take us to the fracking guest chambers already," Aminta muttered under her breath, and Canderous grinned at her.

"You've got a big mouth for someone so tiny," he remarked dryly, and Aminta visibly stiffened. But then, she grinned up at him.

"The best things come in the smallest packages."

"Cute," the Mandalorian mumbled, and turned a corner, walking briskly. Aminta growled under her breath, and had to increase her pace to a jog to keep up with the hulking man's long strides.

"Hairless Wookiee," she grumbled under her breath, and the corners of Canderous' mouth twitched upwards slightly.

"Creative little bugger, aren't you?"

Aminta smirked. "Very." Aminta looked over her shoulder to see that Carth was lagging behind. "Coming, flyboy?"

"I don't want to get caught in the line of fire," he replied dryly, looking pointedly between Canderous and Aminta. Aminta grinned back at him, and turned around just in time to stop herself from running into an open door.

"Canderous," Aminta ground out from behind clenched teeth, eyeing the offending door. "You did that on purpose," she grumbled, and Canderous gave a throaty laugh.

"Of course I did. Guerilla tactics are most effective in combat."

"I'd hardly call playful bantering combat."

"Oh, is that what you call it?" Canderous asked with a raised brow, and Aminta clenched her fists.

"Son of a schutta," she muttered under her breath, stalking into the chambers alotted to them.

"Schutta," Canderous replied in turn, and Aminta threw the nearest potted plant at his head. He swiftly sidestepped the object, and shoved Carth into the room with a chuckle. "I'll be in the slave's quarters. I'll be back in about an hour."

"Who says you get to have a massage?" Aminta demanded, crossing her arms over her chest.

"I know all of the slave girls already. They'll be more forthcoming with information if I'm the one asking the questions. Now, stay put!" Before Aminta had the chance to object, he slammed the door in her face and stalked down the hallway.

"Oh!" Aminta exclaimed, glairing furiously at the closed door. "Impossible, infuriating man," she muttered, throwing herself down onto one of the many couches that lined the room.

Carth chuckled. "I thought that you got along rather nicely."

"About as nicely as a Cathar gets along with water."

Carth grinned, and Aminta surveyed the room. One large, canopied bed was the centerpiece, the frame made of antique carved wood. A single large window on the left side of the space provided all of the light necessary to function, while at the same time allotting guests a picturesque view of Upper City Taris. However, the rest of the room was decorated in a combination of silver and navy that could have been elegant had the furnishings been slightly more tasteful.

"At least the window's nice," Carth noted as he jerked his chin in that direction. Aminta smiled, and then scowled.

"I'd love to get the name of his decorator."

"So you could pummel him?" Carth asked with a raised brow and a twitch of his lips.

"Precisely."

"How'd I know?"

Aminta made a face at him, and then looked down at the communicator that she had strapped to her belt. "I wonder how the girls are doing," she murmured, reaching for the device.

"You are not going to call them right now," Carth instructed, stilling her hand. AMinta glared up at him, and Carth grinned. "What are you, their mother or something?"

Aminta went still for a brief second, and then she looked out the window. "I'm thinking about it. Gods know those little girls need a mother."

Carth frowned. "You're seriously considering adopting them? Look, Ami, soldiers can't take care of their kids. Trust me, I've had first hand experience…"

"I'm not going to be a soldier forever, you know! And I won't be a smuggler for much longer either. I have enough credits in the bank to keep me comfortable for a while… Wait, you didn't tell me that you had a kid." The abrupt change of subject made Carth wince.

"One. He's… somewhere. But we're not talking about me right now. We're talking about you and those three little ones back at the apartment," he quickly changed the topic of their conversation back to what it had originally been. He didn't want to talk about Dustil now… ever, actually.

Aminta frowned slightly, but allowed the subject to drop. "They need a mother, and they're already attached to me. And since Zalbaar and Mission are going to go wherever I go, I've got two built in babysitters that they're attached to as well. Plus," her voice softened slightly, and she glanced up at him with a slight smile. "I'm pretty attached to them too."

"Exactly how long are you supposed to work for the Republic in exchange for them dropping all of your criminal records?"

"Two years," Aminta's chin lifted a fraction into the air as she realized where Carth was going with the conversation.

"And how are you going to pull that off with kids?"

Aminta glared at him, but then shrugged. "I'll change identities. I've done it before," she replied nonchalantly, and Carth stared at her.

"So, is Aminta Jae your real name?" he asked after a few minutes of silence, and Aminta smirked at him.

"Ever wonder why you can't dig up any personal information on me?" She saw the shocked look that Carth gave her, and she rolled her eyes. "Please. I know the second you met my brother you checked your precious datapads for information on us."

Carth flushed, but shrugged his shoulders. "Guilty. However, nothing turned up on an Oded Jae."

Aminta grinned and crossed her legs. "Lucky for me, Jae isn't his last name. But that's besides the point. The point is that I've changed my identities so completely that I am untraceable to the records concerning my past two lives. I can just as easily switch a third time, and forge all of the papers necessary for adoption."

Carth frowned, but didn't protest any further. It wasn't his business anyway. "You're going to have your hands full," he cautioned, and he saw a broad grin slide onto her face.

"Not any fuller than they are already."

"I'll give that one to you." Carth sat on an adjacent couch and picked up a magazine laying on a side table. After flipping through a few pages, he grimaced in distaste, and set it back down. The details of Taxidermy were definitely not his cup of caffa.

"I'm going to go look around; see what I can find out," Aminta announced after a brief period of silence, pulling herself from the comfortable position she had found of the couch.

"I believe the Mandalorian told you, ever so elegantly, to stay put."

"Since when do I ever do what someone tells me to?" Aminta swiped the pass code off of the coffee table and used it to unlock the door.

Carth grinned and shook his head. "Point taken." He stood from his own seat, wincing when he head his knees crack. _I'm getting old._ "So, what exactly are we planning on doing?"

"The Mandalorian can get information by getting a massage, but we're going to get it the old fashioned way." She stepped out into the hallway as the door whooshed open, and then glanced back at Carth with a smirk.

"By sticking our vibroblades against a person's throat?" Carth asked with a raised brow, his tone dripping with sarcasm. Aminta glowered.

"No," the ground out between clenched teeth, and then she suddenly calmed herself. "You get to use your blasters." She smirked, and flounced off, leaving Carth to roll his eyes and follow in her wake.

————————————

"That's where we'll find it," Aminta muttered under her breath, and inclined her head towards the room that she and Carth stood before.

"The torture chamber? You can't be serious." Carth had followed her as she had gone through guests' apartments, looting as she went. He had even strayed into the slave chambers with her, but this was going too far. There was no way he was stepping foot into a torture chamber.

"Where else is Davik gonna put the guys who know his secrets?"

"On his payroll?"

Aminta rolled her eyes and sliced the lock, ignoring the sounds of the man's cries from within. "No, dufus. Not if he can't be trusted."

"How do you know this is even the right guy?" Carth crossed his arms over his chest and glowered at her.

Aminta groaned and then turned to glare at him. "We're looking for the Hawk's launch codes. According to the chart outside the door, this guy was Davik's pilot. Do you see a connection?" She waved her fingers in the air, and Carth sighed.

"You win. _You always win_."

"Don't you know it?" With that, she opened the doors, and neatly sliced the arms off of the torture droids before they had a chance to come after her. Carth followed in disapproving silence, and Aminta did her best to ignore him.

She made quick work of the energy field surrounding the pilot, and took a quick step back when he collapsed to the ground before her feet. "Th-thank you," he managed past a dry throat, and Aminta shifted her weight to her other foot as she absently rubbed her collar bone.

"Don't thank me just yet. Saving you came with a price." Carth choked, and muttered something about decency and morals, but she turned a deaf ear towards him. Noting the effort it took for the wounded man to protest, Aminta continued talking without waiting for a reply. "You're Davik's pilot. We need his launch codes. Plain and simple."

The man shakily withdrew a datapad from his pocket, and Aminta swiftly added it to the growing bulge in her bag. "Thanks. Don't stay here for too long; won't be long before Davik comes in to check on you." With that, she spun on her heel and exited the room.

Carth grabbed her elbow as she turned the corner. "You can't just leave him there," he exclaimed indignantly.

"He'll manage to drag himself away. Ten minutes, give or take."

Carth's mouth dropped and he shook his head. "You're sick."

A corner of Aminta's mouth quirked upwards and she raised a brow. "Maybe. Canderous! Just the giant that we wanted to see!" she exclaimed as Canderous nearly collided into her. "Have a nice massage?"

"Watch it, midget. And my time in the slave quarters was very productive, I'll have you know. It turns out Davik's ex-pilot…"

"Got in trouble somehow, and is now in the torture chamber." Aminta pulled the datapad out of her bag. "And he just might have the codes to the Hawk." She smirked. "Three steps ahead of you, Mandalorian."

"Don't get cocky, squirt." Canderous scowled, upset at being outdone. Carth grinned. "You either, pansy."

Aminta choked back a laugh, and reached for her comm when it started ringing. "I'll just be a second," she excused herself and answered.

"Ami! Ami, thank the gods!" Mission's voice echoed through the halls, and Aminta felt her belly coil at the fear in the teenager's tone.

Aminta frowned. "Mission? What is it? What's wrong?"

"Its the Sith! They're bombing us!"

"What!" Aminta turned towards Carth with a dazed look, and he stared back at her grimly, panic beginning to set into his features.

"The upper city's going up in flames! We're gonna die, I know it! We're dead, we're…" her words dissolved into bouts of hysterical sobs and screams, and Aminta had to shout into the comm unit to be able to be heard over the noise.

"We are not going to die, Vao. Now get a grip, or so help me, I'll kill you when I see you!" Aminta took off running towards the hangar, her legs moving faster than they ever had in her life. Carth and Canderous had trouble keeping up with her, a fact which startled both men.

The sounds of the bombs were growing closer, and finally, the halls shook from the impact. Chunks of plaster fell from the ceiling, and Aminta let out a strangled cry when the sounds from the comm unit deteriorated into static. _Mission, Vika, Nailah, Rae. Mission, Vika, Nailah, Rae._ She increased her speed to match the chant that pounded within her head with every beat of her heart.

She skidded to a halt in front of the hangar doors before doubling her speed to the Ebon Hawk. Unfortunately, she wasn't the only one there. Carth grabbed her around her waist and flung her backwards when Davik took a shot at her, and she tumbled to the ground.

"Well, well. Looks like you three were just going to take my ship and leave me for dead. I can't have that. Calo, attack them!"

Calo grinned and trained his eyes on Canderous. "With pleasure."

Aminta bit back a scream of impatience. "We don't have time for this," she shouted, and Calo chuckled. Breathing heavily, Aminta looked up at the ceiling above Calo's head, and summoned a rafter to move out of place. With the support beam gone, the ceiling caved in and both Calo and Davik were crushed.

Carth and Canderous raced towards the ship, and Aminta stood still, staring at her hands, utterly bewildered by what had just occurred. _Did I just… no, that's impossible!_ Carth turned around as he boarded the exit ramp, as did Canderous. Realizing that the woman was standing stock still, Canderous bellowed at her to get a move on. Shook back to reality, Aminta sprinted to the ramp, and boarded the Hawk as the walls started to cave in around them.

Aminta dug through her bag and tossed Carth the datapad containing the Hawk's codes. "Onasi, fly us outta here. Get to the apartment as fast as you possibly can. Canderous, man the turrets."

"What the hell?" Canderous bellowed. "Get us off of the damn planet, Republic. If you don't, I swear I'll break every bone in your body."

"I got kids! I'm not leaving without them," Aminta screamed, and stared hard at Canderous. "I am not leaving without them," she repeated slowly, dropping her voice. Canderous finally nodded grudgingly, and both men hurried to do the tasks that she had assigned them.

Aminta took off after Carth, strapping herself into the co-pilot's seat as he entered the passcodes into navicomputer and took off with the ease of a seasoned pilot. "Don't worry. We'll get them," Carth said after a few tense moments, and Aminta gave him a terse nod.

The carnage below them was unbelievable, and Aminta had trouble looking down at the fires that raged around them. Suddenly, Aminta felt a horrible, searing pain burning at the back of her mind, and she stifled a cry. The feeling dulled after a few minutes, and she was able to concentrate again when it had receded to a throbbing nuisance.

Finally, they reached their apartment building, and Aminta was grateful to find her friends all assembled on the rooftop. "Open the exit ramp, and get as close as you can," Aminta instructed him as she unfastened her seatbelt and sprinted to the opening ramp. "Canderous, help me!" she shouted over her shoulder as she ran.

Soon, both Aminta and Canderous knelt onto the edge of the ramp, offering their arms to those assembled on the rooftop. Zalbaar tossed Mission up to them, and the girl sank into a hysterical mess beside Aminta. Aminta roughly pushed her away, and ordered her inside of the ship. Bastila gracefully leapt up beside them, and used the Force to lighten the load of the heavy Wookiee that Aminta and Canderous were struggling to pull up.

Once her friends were inside and the exit ramp was closed, Aminta glanced around frantically. "Where are the girls?" No one answered her. "Dammit, where are they?" she demanded, and finally Bastila raised her head to look at the woman.

"Oded took them to go get some ice cream about twenty minutes before the attack began." Her usually calm voice quivered slightly, and Aminta felt her throat constrict.

"We're going after them," she managed past the lump in her throat, and Bastila turned her head away from her. "We're going after them!" She shouted, and Bastila slowly shook her head.

"They are dead. I felt it, not five minutes ago."

For a few precious moments, Aminta's heart stopped beating as the pain completely overwhelmed her. "You're lying!" she shouted from the haze, and charged at the Jedi. "You're lying!" she screeched.

Bastila's breath caught in her throat as she threw a stasis over Aminta, but the woman simply shrugged it off. _What? She isn't supposed to be able to do that!_ Bastila instinctively reached for her lightsaber as Aminta drew closer.

Suddenly, the older woman slumped to the floor, and Canderous lifted her easily into his arms. "Tranquilizing stim," he said gruffly as he headed towards the dormitories. "Get into the common room and strap yourselves in. It's going to be a bumpy ride out of here. Kid, you stay in the dormitories with her. If she falls off her bunk, I'll tie your lekku together, understand me?" Mission rose on shaking legs and followed Canderous as the others rushed to do as they were commanded.

—————————————————

_The little girl rose from her bed, clutching her doll close to her chest. She knew only two things: she hurt everywhere, and it was supposed to be dark at this time of night. But light shone from behind the curtains that adorned her windows. She looked to the chronometer that hung on her wall, and frowned. It was midnight. What was the sun doing up?_

_Slowly, she padded towards the window and drew back the curtain, pressing a fist to her mouth at what she saw. Fire was everywhere… blazing from the backs of rats and turning people into living torches. Shots were being fired, and the stench of gunpowder hovered thick and heavy like a storm cloud over the city. _

_The roof above her caved in, and she dropped her doll to cover her head with her hands, her world going black as the searing heat of the flames scorched her hair. And then she was falling, fast and hard, her stomach lurching and doing somersaults within her belly. Her world went from black to blinding white, as the words of an old man echoed over and over in her head… "Can't be saved, can't be saved."_

_Aminta woke with a start, and pressed a hand to her heaving chest. She slowly forced herself to come out of her nightmare, and look around her room. Her covers were warm, the rough fabric familiar as she ran her fingertips over the cotton, the sheets soft beneath her bare back. A groan sounded from somewhere beside her, and a light flicked on. "Sweetheart?" _

_Aminta closed her eyes tightly against the light as Kael brushed his hand over her forehead. "Another nightmare?" he murmured, drawing her close to him as he gently rubbed his hands in circles over her back. Aminta felt herself relax against him, and simply nodded. _

"_What was it about?" Kael propped himself up on one elbow as he gently brushed loose strands of hair off of her face. Aminta closed her eyes tightly, and shook her head. Kael sighed softly, and laid back down, knowing he wouldn't get any answers. Instead of talking, he kissed her shoulder and curled himself protectively around her. _

"_I'm sorry," Aminta finally whispered, blinking back tears. "It's just… I don't think I'll ever be able to say anything that goes on in my head out loud."_

_Kael smiled, and leaned over to kiss her temple. "Maybe you should just write it down," he murmured, and Aminta stiffened in his embrace. She sighed in frustration, and scooted to the other side of the bed, pulling the blankets tight about her body to cover herself._

_Kael groaned, and he ran a hand through his hair. "Don't take it the wrong way. It's not like I'm asking to read what you write or anything like that." Silence greeted him. "Look, whenever I'm hurt or scared, or have a nightmare I can't shake myself of, I write it down. Somehow, it helps."_

_Kael swung his legs over the side of the bed, and pulled himself up, opening the drawer to the nightstand. It was overflowing with datapads, and Aminta laughed softly. "You have more problems than I thought you did," she murmured affectionately, and Kael smiled as he climbed back into their bed. _

"_Just try it some time. It might work," he encouraged, and the corners of Aminta's mouth turned upwards. _

"_I'll think about it," she replied noncommittally, and allowed herself to be pulled down into her husband's embrace. She snuggled against the warmth of his chest and closed her eyes, the sound of his rythmatic breathing lulling her to sleep._


	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer**: I own Star Wars. In fact, I have Han Solo and Atton Rand bound and gagged in my closet.

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Canderous let out a sharp sigh as he pounded on the door to the starboard dormitory. "Open this damn door this instant!" Silence greeted him from the other side. He ran his hand through his grayed hair and growled. "I know you can hear me," he shouted.

When there was still no response, he kicked the door and stalked off, muttering Mandalorian curses as he went. Bastila stood gracefully from her meditation pose when she heard his approach, and smoothed her robes. "They still will not open the door?"

Canderous glared at her, and muttered something about foul Jedi as he stormed to the cargo hold. Bastila sighed softly at the form of his retreating back, and turned to Zalbaar, who was reclining on the couch. "I much prefer the serenity of Dantooine."

Zalbaar growled out a response, and stood abruptly, heading for the galley. Bastila toyed with the idea of following him to monitor his food consumption, but quickly decided not to. She liked her limbs intact. Tired of meditation, she rubbed a weary hand over her face and headed for the cockpit, hoping that Carth would be better company.

"Carth?" she called out softly, knocking on the door.

"Who's there?" Came the faint response from within.

"Bastila. May I enter?"

There was silence for a few seconds. "Sure."

Bastila opened the door slowly, and winced when she saw the state that Carth was in. Empty Corellian Fire whiskey bottles littered the floor, and Carth's clothes were rumpled, his eyes glassy.

"Ami come out yet?" Bastila frowned when she saw how much effort it took on the man's part not to slur his words, and the frown deepened when she realized who he was asking about.

"No, and neither has Mission. They are in grieving, Carth. They need time."

"I knows all aboush greivin.' Und I never locked myshelf in a room like thash," he swung his hand in a wide arc, and Bastila stepped back, her nose scrunching with distaste. He was no longer trying to control his words; he was wasted.

"Listen to me, Carth. You are going to drink a _very_ large cup of caffa, you are going to get something besides alcohol in your stomach, and you are going to sober up. Do you understand?"

"Why?"

_There is no emotion, there is peace…_ "Because once you're sober, you're going to convince Aminta Jae to leave the dormitory, and also force her to eat."

Carth was silent for a few moments. "Wheresh dat usesless droid thingy?" he asked, his arms flailing again. Bastila grimaced, and stepped farther away.

"In the control room."

"Shend 'im to me?"

"Of course," Bastila bowed politely, and made a hasty exit from the room. _So this is why Jedi Masters aren't supposed to drink._ She shivered slightly, and winced when she heard Carth begin to sing a drunken tune.

"T-3? Carth needs assistance," Bastila instructed the little droid before heading back to the common room to meditate. The dangers of her own mind were far easier to face than her crewmates.

———————————————-

Carth winced slightly at the ruckus that T-3 made as he rolled towards the dormitories. "Can you move any quieter?"

"Beep dwoo!"

"Don't criticize me on my drinking habits!" Carth shouted, and then winced at the sound. "Fracking hangovers," he muttered under his breath, and the droid let out a series of beeps which sounded suspiciously like a laugh. "Fracking droids."

"Beep doo beep!"

"You aren't a human, buddy boy. So, you don't get any respect out of me."

"Beep dwoo doo." T-3 turned and started rolling in the opposite direction.

"Hey, hey! I didn't mean it like that. Come on, I need your help here!" Carth exclaimed to the droid's retreating figure.

"Beep beep."

"I'm hung over, okay? I wasn't thinking properly," Carth attempted to explain himself, and the droid headed back over to him.

"Beep beep."

"I'll drink whenever I feel like it, trash compactor." T-3 started in the opposite direction again, and Carth groaned.

"Come on! I didn't mean it like it sounded!" Carth pleaded, and T-3 turned to face him again.

"Beep."

"Okay, okay. No more talking, I promise!"

"Dwoo?"

"Dammit all, my word is golden! Now get over here."

T-3 whirred happily, and rolled in the direction of the dormitories again, Carth wincing at each sound that the droid made as it clunked along.

When they reached the door, Carth knocked with trepidation. "Ami?" Silence greeted him. "Ami, honey, can you open the door?" Nothing.

"Look, Ami… I know what you're going through, okay? Will you please open the door?" Silence. _Okay, I guess not._ "Ami? Sweetie? Have you eaten anything yet?" A thud sounded at the door when she threw something at it. Carth grinned. He knew that would get a reaction.

"Ami, even if you don't open the door, I'm coming in anyway. Will you please just open it?" Once again, silence greeted him. Carth sighed, and turned to T-3. "Okay, slice it."

T-3's gears whirred as he made quick work of the lock, and Carth spared the droid a smile when it was finished.

"Beep doo?"

"Fine, fine. Thanks. Now, scram." T-3 beeped indignantly, but headed away as Carth instructed. Carth turned his attention to the now unlocked door, and slowly slid it open. "Ami?" he called out softly.

"Bastard."

Carth grinned, and looked for a light switch. "You turn on the lights, and I will enjoy murdering you," she threatened from her bunk, and Carth ceased his efforts.

"I brought you a ration bar." He gingerly sat at the edge of her bunk, and winced slightly when she rolled over, her back facing him. He quickly glanced over to the bunk that Mission was situated in, and let out a sigh of relief when he saw that she was sleeping. "I'm going to tell you straight, Beautiful. I'm not doing much better than you are. I've got a hell of a hangover from drinking a bottle too many of Whiskey."

Aminta scooted further to the wall, and Carth sighed. "Don't do this," he pleaded. "I'm your friend, I care about your well being." he gently touched her temple. "Let me in there."

Aminta shook her head, and buried herself deeper beneath the covers. Carth scrubbed a hand over his face wearily, and then let out a deep sigh. "I know you loved those kids." Aminta let out a strangled cry, and Carth winced. Gently, he rubbed his thumb over her shoulder, and he felt her muscles tense in response.

"I lost a kid too. His name was…is…Dustil. Wasn't around much when he was young, but what can I do now? I found my wife on Telos; got there just in time to see her before she died. But I never did find him. I searched everywhere; no one had seen him. Days turned into weeks and weeks turned into months, and by the time a year and a half rolled by, I had to face facts. I wasn't going to see him again."

Aminta rolled over to face him, and Carth winced. She wasn't a pretty crier. Her face was mottled and red, her eyes swollen and glassy. Tears filled her eyes again, and she reached a hand up to brush a stubborn lock of hair from his face. "I'm sorry," she whispered, and Carth gripped her hand tightly.

"So am I. But I didn't tell you for sympathy. I just wanted you to know that you're not alone in this. You can talk to me about it."

Aminta was quiet for a few moments, and then she sighed softly. "Thanks."

Carth grinned and brushed his thumb over her cheek. "Don't mention it. But I do need you to eat this," he thrust the ration bar in her hand.

Aminta glared at him. "I. Am. Not. Hungry."

"You. Will. Eat." He opened the wrapper and pushed the bar to her lips. "Eat it on your own, or I'll shove it down your throat," he warned her, and Aminta snatched the bar out of his grasp.

"Fine," she muttered as she took a few small nibbles off of the end, grimacing in distaste. "This is disgusting."

"You didn't eat the real food that we had on Taris, so you're just going to be stuck eating these until we get to Dantooine." He watched with slight amusement as Aminta's face screwed up. "I'm not leaving until you've finished the entire thing."

"Stop treating me like a child, Carth."

"I will when you stop acting like one."

"Touché." Aminta pinched the end of her nose with her fingers as she took another bite, hoping that the trick would work. She shifted nervously on the bed, and turned away from Carth. "You're making me uncomfortable," she muttered between mouthfuls, and Carth laughed.

"So, talk to me. That way it won't feel like I'm staring at you."

"About what?" she asked with some trepidation, and Carth smiled.

"Your choice."

Aminta took another bite of the ration bar and swallowed it slowly. "What was your wife like?" she asked after a few moments, and Carth coughed.

"Excuse me?"

Aminta turned her head away and mumbled an apology before quickly filling her mouth with food so that she wouldn't have to say anything further. Once the shock had faded away, Carth cleared his throat. "She was very quiet," he said softly after a period of silence.

Aminta's head jerked up, and she looked back over at him with her brows furrowed. "But she was also very stubborn. The woman had a will like durasteel, and even though she was shy by nature she always made her opinion known. Rather loudly around me," he gave a fond, reminiscent smile.

"She was also one of the messiest people that I have ever met; she left wet towels on the bed, didn't bother changing the bag to the trash can… She managed to kill every single plant in the apartment. How, I'll never know," he chuckled slightly, and his eyes began to glisten.

"And she could never get along with technology. The droids were always a mess of circuits that I had to fix up, and she refused to learn how to properly control the holovision. Because she couldn't do it, she didn't want me to either. Whenever a game would be on, she'd throw a book at me and tell me to enhance my vocabulary… she…she was…" Carth attempted a laugh, and brushed away a tear.

Aminta smiled slightly, and rested a hand on his shoulder. "She sounds like she would have been a good friend of mine."

Carth gave a watery laugh. "Yeah. She probably would have."

Silence gripped the room once again. "I was married, once upon a time," she told him after a few minutes with a small smile. "He was a good man, and a great smuggler… although you usually wouldn't peg a smuggler as a 'good- guy' type."

"Is he the guy from your locket?" Carth asked after a brief moment, and Aminta shook her head ruefully.

"I'm not going to ask how you know that… but, yeah."

"Mission thinks that he's hot," Carth divulged, and Aminta laughed.

"That he was." She grew silent for a minute, and then tossed him the empty ration bar wrapper. "Could you get me something to drink?"

Carth raised a brow. "Caffa?"

"Nah, liquor. I don't care what it is, but make sure that it's strong." She wiped her hands off on the blankets, and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Are you sure you should be having that right now?"

"This from the guy that walked in here hung over," she muttered, rolling her eyes.

"Tarisian Ale sound okay?"

"It's potent, isn't it?"

————————————————-

Canderous sat crouched on the ground, covered from head to toe in grease and mechanical fluids. "Wrench," he called out gruffly over his shoulder, and T-3 beeped as he handed the Mandalorian what he had ordered.

Canderous ducked back under, and continued to work on the Swoop Bike. The thing was rusted and old… Davik's father probably rode it when he was a teenager. Needless to say, a lot of parts, time, and patience was needed to make it useful. It proved to be a perfect distraction from his foul-tempered crew members.

"Nice bike," Canderous pulled himself out from under the swoop, and grinned up at Aminta. "Well, well. Look who finally decided to grace us with her presence."

"Shove it, Canderous." Aminta stripped off her jacket and over shirt, and draped them over a workbench. "You've got yourself a real mess here," she gestured towards the bike as she grabbed a tool for herself.

"But it's my mess," Canderous replied, standing and blocking her access to the bike.

"Well, now it's our mess," she retorted with a smirk. "I've been around my fair share of machines, I'll have you know."

"I like to work alone."

"So I've noticed," she replied, the corners of her mouth twitching upwards. "But, unfortunately, you're not going to work along on this."

"I was here first."

"Now you sound childish."

"Now you sound like Republic."

Aminta grinned, and crouched down onto the ground, poking around the bike. "The engine needs some work. Looks like it's at least half a century old."

"It won't keep up with the other bikes if we were ever going to race it," he agreed, kneeling beside her.

"We?" Aminta smiled in self-satisfaction.

"It's easier to give into you than to fight you," Canderous replied with a shrug. "So, what do you think we should do with it?"

Aminta furrowed her brow. "There's some upgrades in the workbench that we could try to install; we'll probably need to switch out the gas tank too. This one's pretty ineffective."

Canderous nodded. "And then, of course, there's the fact that the entire system is covered in rust and is pretty much ineffective."

"Looks like we got our work cut out for us," Aminta grinned.

"It'll be an interesting challenge. Why don't you yank out that engine and start on the upgrades while I tighten up the gears and get rid of the rust?"

Aminta nodded, and carefully extracted the engine from the bike, setting the aged thing down on the workbench. "So, Canderous, you were in the Mandalorian Wars, right?" She dug through the shelves, pulling out spare parts and system upgrades that she could use.

"What Mandalorian wasn't?" he replied gruffly.

Aminta grinned and shook her head. "You got any stories you could tell me? It'd help pass the time." Her grin broadened as she opened the next drawer, and found that it was full of engine parts. "Jackpot," she mumbled under her breath.

"Didn't think you'd be too interested in gory battle tales," he noted with amusement.

"People do tend to surprise you." She picked up her tools and began working. "So, care to talk?"

Canderous grinned. "Why not? It isn't very often that a Mandalorian gets to talk about the glory days without someone shooting at them. Something special that you want to know, or…"

"Revan fought Mandalore, didn't he? Towards the end of the wars."

"Yeah. The guy was a hell of a fighter, even without his magic tricks."

"The force?" Aminta supplied, and Canderous waved a hand dismissively.

"Whatever. He never took off his mask or robes either. It was kind of strange, I have to admit. But watching him fight… It was like watching a force of nature. I have never seen anyone, before or after, who matched him in strength or dexterity. I would have been honored to die in battle with such a man."

"So, you agree with what Revan did and Malak is doing?"

"What, the whole 'Take over the Galaxy' bit?" Canderous shrugged. "It's nothing that we didn't try. They're just taking… drastic measures."

"It's ironic, isn't it? How Malak and Revan left to save the Republic from a foreign threat, and ended up destroying it themselves?"

"They were true warriors. Don't listen to Miss Jedi Princess' lectures on how they were evil." Canderous snorted derisively. "They just saw and seized an opportunity."

"An opportunity that caused thousands of lives, on both sides. They may have been warriors, but they were also ultimately deserters. And there isn't any honor is abandoning the cause that you fought for, is there?"

"No. Not unless you realize that what you were fighting for was a lost cause."

"It's still betrayal."

"You're talking black and white. There isn't any such thing," Canderous insisted, grunting slightly from his spot under the bike.

"Trust me, I know that as well as anyone. Maybe they didn't mean to destroy the Republic… Maybe it wasn't domination that they were after; maybe it was something else," she mused, and rolled her eyes when Canderous chuckled.

"You think too much."

"And you think too little."

"Smart-ass."

"Ignorant."

Canderous grinned. "I see that you're feeling better. Republic come to hold your hand?" he sneered, and Aminta stiffened.

"Jerk. It happens to be very sweet that he can talk about emotions."

"Sweet? Sweet is the farthest thing from manly. The guy needs to grow some balls."

"And you need to grow a brain."

"Better to think with the balls than to think with the brain, I've always said," Canderous grinned wolfishly.

"You would," Aminta muttered, screwing in an upgrade.

"What, you don't like manly men?" Canderous leered, and Aminta rolled her eyes.

"Brute strength has nothing to do with manhood."

"Oh? And what does?"

Aminta sighed, and ran grease covered hands over her hair. She scowled and muttered an oath under her breath once she realized what she had done. "What makes a man a man is a combination of the heart, the mind, and strength. Without a combination of all three, he's lacking."

"So you admit that Republic is lacking in some areas."

Aminta rolled her eyes. "Get a life," she muttered.

"I love the one I have."

"Hooray for you."

Canderous grinned, and grunted again as he continued on the bike. It would take months to finish the thing; months of non-stop working. He doubted they'd be together long enough to finish it. "So, what exactly makes you so defensive of our trusty pilot?"

Aminta shrugged, continued working on the engine. "He's been a good friend, and I very rarely ever find everyone who's willing to befriend me. I guess it makes me kind of protective of the ones that do."

"So, if I were to befriend you, would you be protective of me?"

Aminta snorted. "I hardly think that you need the protection," she muttered under her breath, and Canderous laughed.

"It's always nice to have someone at your back," he clarified.

"I'll cover yours if you cover mine," Aminta offered.

"Deal."

Aminta laughed softly after a few minutes. "I seem to be making myself a lot of allies," she mused.

"How so?"

"A Wookiee lifedebt, a teenager that will follow me around until she and the furball part ways, our casual deal…I've made more allies in a month than I made in all my time as a smuggler."

"Maybe you need to switch occupations."

"I like the smuggling life," Aminta defended herself, and Canderous chuckled.

"Of course you do," he muttered, and pulled himself out from under the bike. "I'm getting hungry. Want to join me in the galley, or are you too busy with that engine?"

Aminta set her tools down and wiped her hands on her pants. "I'm not hungry, but I guess I'll get Mission something while you eat. I could use the company."

"I thought that's what Republic was for," he sneered, scrubbing most of the grease off of his hand with a nearby towel.

Aminta waved her hand dismissively. "I can't talk politics with him; he hasn't learned to see the gray areas. Besides, if I said that Revan and Malak didn't mean to destroy the republic, he'd shoot my head off."

"So, I'm your politics buddy?"

Aminta grinned. "Pretty much."

"Works for me," Canderous shrugged. "So long as I get to talk about the Mandalorian glory days."

"I'd love to hear the stories."

"Well, there was this one with a Basilisk droid…"

———————————

"Mission," Aminta's voice was uncharacteristically gentle as she shook the teenager awake. "I got you some lunch," she held out the ration bar, and Mission squinted at her through bleary eyes.

"Nuhungry," she mumbled, and Aminta smiled slightly.

"I'm forced to eat when I'm not hungry; what makes you any different?" She nudged Mission, who groaned and pulled her pillow over her head.

"You've been in that bed for three days, honey. You need to get up."

"I don't wanna," she muttered in teenage defiance. Aminta sighed and ran a hand over her face as she looked down at the twi'lek.

"Can we talk?" Aminta tried.

"No."

_Stubborn as a mule. I really hate how like me she is._ "Look, I know it's hard. Gods know I do. Sometimes…sometimes it's better if you talk about things instead of keeping them bottled up inside."

"Do you talk about the stuff that hurts you?" Mission asked pointedly.

Aminta winced. "Sometimes," she admitted. "Not often. Only when forced to."

Mission huffed, and pulled the covers farther over her head. Aminta sighed, and ran a hand through her hair. "Mission, please…"

Mission suddenly bolted up in the bed, and stared hard at Aminta. "You have no idea what it's like! To have your home destroyed, it's…"

"Try losing a child Mission!" Aminta snapped, and tears filled the teenager's eyes again. "Aw, Mish… I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make losing Taris sound…easy. It's just…"

Mission sniffled, and rolled away from Aminta. "Don't worry about it," she mumbled. "I don't expect anyone to get how I'm feeling."

Aminta bit her lip. "Carth does."

Mission propped herself up and rolled over to face Aminta again. "What?"

"He's from Telos."

Mission's mouth opened to form a silent 'O.' Silence descended on them for several minutes, and Mission glanced down at her hands. "Do you think he'd wanna talk to me?"

Aminta gently placed her hand on Mission's shoulder, and smiled. "I'll convince him." Mission gave her a small, forced smile. "But if I'm going to go through all that effort, you're going to have to eat this," Aminta thrust the ration bar into Mission's hands, and the girl grimaced.

"Fine."

Aminta smiled again and patted the girls shoulder before exiting the room and heading towards the cockpit. "How is Mission?" Bastila asked as Aminta was walking through the common room.

"She's coping. How long until we get to Dantooine?"

"We should be there early tomorrow morning."

Aminta smiled. "Good. I think a change of scenery will be good for her. For all of us. Now, if you'll excuse me…" Aminta nodded towards the cockpit, and Bastila nodded before sinking back down into her meditation pose.

The cockpit was quiet, and Aminta frowned slightly as she walked behind the pilot's chair and gently placed her hands on Carth's shoulders. Carth jumped at the contact, and Aminta smiled slightly. "What were you thinking about flyboy?"

Carth leaned his head back so that he could see her and gave her a brief smile. "How have you been holding up?"

Aminta shrugged, and took her seat in the co-pilot's chair. "I worked with Canderous on the swoop bike today, and even managed to get Mission to talk to me."

Carth gave her a slight, knowing smile. "That's not what I asked you."

"You are the only one on this blasted ship that I can't fool," she muttered as she stared out the window into hyperspace.

"I'm choosing to take that as a compliment. Tell me the truth, how've you been doing?"

Aminta glanced down at her hands. "I've kept busy…pushed it to the back of my mind… to save the thought for later, when it won't hurt as much." She laughed softly. "It's an old trick."

"Does it work?"

Aminta shrugged. "During the day. When I sleep though… you've seen what happens to me." She couldn't meet his eyes. "What…what else did you find when you went looking through my things?"

Carth frowned slightly. "Besides the locket? A lot of datapads; I didn't read any of them. A couple sketchbooks… I think Mission found something though, because she slammed the lid pretty fast."

Aminta grimaced. "No wonder she's been looking at me strangely," she murmured under her breath.

"What was it?" Carth asked after a few tense moments.

Aminta bit her lip. "I'll tell you, but I need you to do me a favor. Okay?"

"What's the favor?" Carth asked cautiously, nervously shifting in his seat.

"Mission's having a really hard time right now. I kind of told her that you were from Telos." Carth's face grew clouded, and Aminta winced. "I'm sorry, it's just that she's having trouble dealing, and she didn't think that anybody understood. She needs to talk to someone who understands exactly what she's going through."

Carth let out a deep sigh, and nodded slowly. "Okay." There was silence for a few minutes, and his face cleared as he looked up at her again. "What was in the jewelry box?"

"My sonogram."

Carth choked. "I thought you said that you had a tubular pregnancy!"

Aminta laughed mirthlessly. "I did. I got pregnant again a couple years later. That time, I managed to carry the baby to full term."

"How… how old is it?"

"She would have been four next month," Aminta shrugged. "She died two hours after she was born," she clarified, and Carth winced.

"Sorry," he murmured, and Aminta glanced out the window into hyperspace again.

"Yeah, so am I." She licked her lips and glanced back over at him. "Mission's waiting."

————————————————

"Hey, Mish," Carth greeted the teen as he walked into what was now dubbed the 'women's bunkroom.'

"Hey, Geezer." Mission responded as she sat up and criss-crossed her legs. "Look, if you don't want to talk about it…"

"Nah. It's okay." Carth took a seat besides the teen on the bed. "I'm no shrink, but I've had some therapy over the years, so…"

"I don't need a shrink. I need a friend." Mission's response caught Carth off-guard, and he stared at her. Her face was honest, and Carth felt an overwhelming sense of paternal affection wash over him for the girl.

"Yeah. I guess you do," he murmured, and gently rested his hand on her shoulder.

"I never had many friends on Taris," Mission started, and then stopped herself, glancing up at Carth. He nodded for her to continue, and she looked back down at her lap again. "I had the Beks, but they were more like family then friends. But… they used me too, and neither family or friends are supposed to do that to you, you know?"

Carth nodded, and gently squeezed the girl's shoulder. Mission sniffed and continued. "But, even though I didn't have many good friends, I remember everybody. Zelka, Mayenna…" Carth winced at the name, and Mission brushed a tear from her eye, "…the bouncers from the cantinas, the twi'lek dancers who took the time to talk to me and doll me up… even the skuzzy guy who was always following me around… and I…I…" She turned into Carth embrace and buried her head against his chest.

Carth cleared his throat, and gently squeezed the girl. "You remember the small things too… how many people were always hanging out at the stores, which areas had kids and which didn't, what the skyline looked like from the water…" he wasn't talking about Taris at that point, and Mission knew it.

"You remember the smells and sounds that you took for granted, you remember every bump on every road, how the buildings looked covered in snow. You remember the cracks in every sidewalk, and what the city looked like at night. Things that you never realized were important to you until it was too late." Carth coughed, and blinked furiously.

"You remember the slums and the alleys that you wished would be gone, places you thought the galaxy would be better without. And when they're no longer there, you feel guilty. Almost like you wishing and thoughts are what caused everything."

Mission coughed, and dashed tears from her eyes. "Yeah," she whispered, and Carth looked down at his lap. "Will…will it ever go away?"

"You'll never get over it." Carth heaved out a deep sigh. "The pain… it'll always be a part of you." At this, Mission sniffled and pressed her fists to her eyes. "But, it'll fade," Carth continued, and brushed a tear from the girl's cheek. "It'll be a dull pain rather than a sharp one, and life slowly gets to be tolerable. Although in your case, things might be different."

Mission's head jerked up, and Carth smiled softly at her. "You're still young. At fourteen…" Carth cleared his throat and attempted to string the words together in a way that wouldn't offend her. "…you can build a new life for yourself somewhere else. You'll always remember Taris, and I can guarantee that you'll cry when you tell your kids about it, but you'll make your family somewhere else."

Mission bit her lip and looked down. "You lost everything, didn't you Carth?"

Carth stared down at his left hand, where his wedding ring used to lie. "Yeah…yeah, I did."

—————————————————-

"How's that engine coming, Jae?" Canderous called out from under the swoop bike the following morning.

"I'm trying to figure out how the engineers designed the Bek's prototype. Things aren't really going as smoothly as I hoped that they would." She replied as she bit her lip and shifted her weight to her other foot.

Canderous laughed. "Let me tell you something, squirt. Nothing in life ever comes easy. You have to fight for what you want."

"Yeah. And sparring with the engine would help me how?"

"Watch your mouth kid," Canderous laughed. "That's not what I meant, and you know it."

"Well forgive me for assuming otherwise. It's just that Mandalorians aren't exactly known for subtlety," she muttered.

"Cute, squirt. Real cute."

"Can it, Candy."

"Candy?" Canderous roared, and pulled himself out from under the bike. Before Aminta could respond, an alarm beeped. "What the hell?" he growled at the speaker closest to him.

"Yeah, Canderous. Swearing at the nearest alarm bell is really going to make it stop chirping," she said as she smirked and planted her hands on her hips.

"I'm getting sick of your big mouth, _Squirt_!"

"And I'm getting rather sick of your grumpiness, _Candy,_" She countered.

The speaker crackled, and then Carth's voice came through. "Everyone to the common room. Strap yourselves in; we'll landing on Dantooine in approximately 6.2 minutes."

"He really gets technical," Canderous grumbled under his breath as he toweled off his hands and then thrust the rag at Aminta. "Meet you out there," he called over his shoulder as he stalked out the door.

"Infuriating Mandalorian," she muttered under her breath as she quickly followed him out into the common room, and strapped herself into the nearest chair. "Mission, Zalbaar," she greeted the other to occupants of the room. "Bastila in the cockpit?"

"Yeah," Mission piped up from her seat. Ever since Carth had talked to her the night before, Mission had seemed better. Carth, however, had locked himself in the cockpit afterwards, and hadn't even bugged Aminta about how little she ate. Yet.

"What, you jealous?" Canderous sneered.

Aminta glared at him. "Yeah. I'm positively green with envy," she responded sarcastically, and Canderous chortled.

":Your pilot does land well, correct:" Zalbaar asked a little apprehensively from his seat next to Mission.

Aminta bit her lip. "I wouldn't really know. I've only been with him for a takeoff in a real plane… I hope he doesn't crash the ship like he did the escape pod."

":What:"

—————————————————

Sorry, I didn't quite know what to do with this chapter, so it was pretty much written on auto-pilot. Well… At least it's an update!


	15. Chapter 15

"You excited that you're home?" Carth attempted to make polite conversation with Bastila as they touched down on the planet.

Bastila just stared out the window. "I suppose," she murmured softly. In all honesty, the council made her feel wary and on edge. She knew that she had failed several of the tests that they had set for her, and the way they constantly rebuked her made her less than eager to return to the enclave. She had no doubt that there would be another lecture about the crew that she returned with.

"You suppose?" Carth cocked an eyebrow and turned to look at her.

Bastila cleared her throat and smiled at him. "Yes, I'm very happy to be home," she lied smoothly, and then wondered how, as a Jedi, she could do that in good conscience. She guessed it had something to do with her close association to the Dark Lord Revan. _Now isn't the time to think of that._

"I'm sure the council will be happy to see you," Carth offered, and Bastila looked out the window again.

"Yes, I suppose they will," she murmured, a barely discernable touch of bitterness to her voice. The council had once been like her family. However, once she had realized that they viewed her as little more than a favored pet, resentment had begun to crowd out the rest of her emotions. But, she had no one left in the galaxy besides them…all of her friends were either Sith, dead, or in exile.

"Were you able to contact them? To let them know that we escaped Taris?"

Bastila chewed on her lower lip. "No. The communications device aboard the Ebon Hawk is in great need of repair. Perhaps the council will lend me a worker or two to fix it."

Carth smiled ruefully. "I don't think that anybody is going to be staying with this ship for long… unless Ami wants it for smuggling."

Bastila sighed as she watched the landing pad get closer. "Aminta may not be able to leave for a while yet. The council may wish to speak with her," Bastila divulged, and Carth winced.

"Ami doesn't like Jedi. I don't think she'll like that idea. She'll probably hop the first shuttle out of here to avoid them."

Bastila clasped her hands tighter in her lap. "We could all use a day's break after what we've been through. I will alert the council that I have arrived, but I will not report to them until tomorrow."

Carth frowned. "Do you think they'll like that very much?"

"Perhaps not," Bastila admitted, smoothing the wrinkles in her robes. "However, I have just felt the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people, and have spent days meditating to attempt to clear my mind. I believe walking through the familiar fields for several hours will serve to calm me."

Carth nodded absently. "Do you know of any good cantinas around here? With your average, run of the mill, middle class people?"

Bastila's eyes went wide. "Excuse me?"

Carth grinned somewhat sheepishly. "You may find the grasslands calming, but I know for a fact that the other members of the crew like to unwind with a glass of ale. In mission's case a mug of Juma Juice."

Bastila nodded primly. "I suppose I could escort you to one, if that is what you wish for me to do," she offered.

"Yeah. That'd be great." Carth carefully slowed the ship to a halt as he landed it neatly on the landing pad. "Could you take us now? I mean, once we're ready to leave the ship?" he asked, unstrapping himself from his seat.

Bastila imagines the vast fields of flowing grass, and sighed inwardly. Apparently, serenity would have to wait for another hour or so. "Of course," Bastila bowed her head slightly as she unbuckled herself and smoothly rose from her chair.

Carth held open the cockpit door for her, and Bastila mumbled a thank you as she slipped through. "So, who wants to head to the cantina?" Carth called out as they entered the common room.

"That depends. You buying the drinks?" Aminta replied as she headed over to him. "Nice landing by the way. Zalbaar was terrified that you'd crash."

Zalbaar stood and crossed his arms indignantly. ":I most certainly was not afraid:"

"Beep doo beep beep!"

"You're right T-3. He did almost wet his fur!" Mission exclaimed with a broad grin as she patted the droid on its head. Zalbaar roared, and Mission grinned cheekily at him. "Sorry, Big Z, but when the droid's right, he's right."

":Why do I bother with a cub:" Zalbaar growled woefully, and then he glanced over at Carth. ":I will accompany you to the cantina, human. Perhaps there will be something strong enough there to take me mind off of her.:"

Aminta laughed, and translated the comment to Carth, who grinned broadly. "Okay, but you're paying your own way, Big guy."

Canderous grinned as he stalked over to the group assembled. "Why don't we all go, and we all pay our own way?" he suggested gruffly, and Carth nodded in agreement.

"I don't know. With all the grief that flyboy's cost me, I think that he should pay for my drinks," she replied, playfully baiting the pilot.

"I have been a perfect gentleman, thank you. If its anyone that should be buying anyone drinks, you should be buying mine," he countered, and Aminta rolled her eyes.

Bastila watched the scene with a slight smile as she stood apart from the group, and she crossed her arms over her chest. She hadn't been close to anyone like the assembly was to each other since before the Mandalorian Wars. And even then, she'd merely been the kid that tagged along. "What about you, Princess? You coming?" Canderous called out gruffly, and Bastila stiffened slightly.

"I am escorting you to the cantina, and then I will be returning to the fields."

"What? You afraid of a couple of drinks?" he leered, and Bastila hugged her arms closer to her body.

"Of course not," she replied haughtily, and Canderous sneered.

"I bet you haven't even had a sip of alcohol in your life."

Aminta quickly stepped in. "Aw, lay off, Candy. It's not her fault that she was raised by the Jedi."

"What did I say about you calling me Candy, Squirt?" he roared, and Aminta smirked at him.

"Enjoying our new nickname, are we?" She teased, drawing his attention away from the Jedi and back to the group. Bastila caught the older woman's eye and gave her a look of gratitude, and Aminta winked in response.

"Just for that, you should buy me my drinks!" Canderous exclaimed, stepping dangerously close to her.

For having a raging Mandalorian at her back, Aminta seemed perfectly calm. "Are you kidding me? With the amount of alcohol it would take to get you drunk, I'd go broke!"

Mission laughed at the pair. "I thought we already established that we're all paying our own way?"

"Fine," Canderous muttered darkly, throwing a glare to Aminta. Aminta simply smirked, and sauntered over to Mission's side. _She is going to get hers._

"Who's buying the hangover pills?" Carth asked before another fight could break out.

Bastila went white. "You can't mean to say that you are all anticipating to get drunk?" she gasped, and Canderous laughed at her.

"What? Drunkenness doesn't fit into the prim and proper Jedi world?" Canderous sneered, and Bastila clenched her hands at her fists.

"Jedi typically avoid mind altering substances. They achieve nothing but a dulling of the senses," she replied calmly, reciting the Jedi code in her head in an attempt not to lash out at the Mandalorian. The fields of Dantooine sounded better and better with every minute that passed.

"That's the point!"

Bastila grimaced with distaste, and focused on a spot on the wall just past the hulking man's left shoulder.

"Canderous, cut it out," Aminta warned, and surprisingly, the Mandalorian took a step back. However, he continued to glower at the younger woman.

"Mission, go and grab my purse and your deck of Pazaak cards. Guys, go get your credit chips. I need to have a word with our resident Jedi," Aminta instructed, quickly taking control of the conversation. All but Zalbaar reluctantly trickled from the room, and Aminta raised an eyebrow at him.

":I carry my credits with me at all times:" he divulged, patting the belt that criss crossed over his shoulders. ":This way, I must not scurry about like mice as you other races do.:"

Aminta gave him a brief nod, and turned back to Bastila. "Canderous is itching for a fight. He doesn't like you, therefore, he wants to injure you in battle. Don't rise to the bait."

Bastila's mouth dropped. "I was under the assumption that you had a tenuous friendship with the Mandalorian. Why would you choose my side in our arguments?"

Aminta laughed and shook her head. "I'm not choosing sides. I'm just warning you about him. Yes, he is a friend, but he's brutal. I've witnessed it first hand." Aminta pulled down the shoulder of the shirt she was wearing to show Bastila the bruised flesh. "We started sparring half way through the trip. This is what he gave me, and he likes me. Imagine what he could do to you."

Bastila's eyes grew round. "I'm afraid that I still do not understand why you are telling me this," she admitted.

Aminta rolled her eyes. "Because, I don't want anyone on this ship getting hurt. For some insane reason, I've been elected the leader here, so no one is getting injured on my watch. Of course, what you do when you meet up with the council is your business, but until then…"

"Thank you," Bastila replied sincerely.

Aminta huffed out a sigh. "Don't bother."

——————————————-

"How many drinksh ish dat Candy?" Aminta slurred, trying to figure out which of the two heads belonged to her partner in crime.

Canderous was drunk enough not to notice the obscene nickname. "Shirty-five," he mumbled, in barely better shape than the much smaller woman was in.

Somewhere during the course of the night, one of them had challenged the other to a drinking contest. Aminta's head was too fuzzy for her to remember exactly which one of them had initiated it. Generally, she was able to hold her ale rather well… she couldn't remember a single time that she had slurred her words. But after thirty five drinks…

"Barshender! Get ush anoder round!" Aminta called, waving to the man working the car. He frowned at her disapprovingly, but she laid the credit chips on the table, so he brought them over their drinks. Besides, the pair were amusing the patrons. Fortunes had been bet over who would win.

"Shirty-shix!" Canderous proclaimed after he downed his in one gulp. Aminta did the same, and nearly fell off the chair at the sudden looseness in her muscles.

"What time ish it?" she mumbled, glancing down at her chronometer. Even though she squinted, the numbers kept rolling around. "Will you be a nishe shing and jusht shtay shtill?" She shouted at it, earning several laughs from some of the patrons.

Canderous leaned over and attempted to make out the numbers as well, but they were merely a blur to him. "Lishen to da girl, will ya?" he slurred, tapping one large finger on the chrono. The bartender rolled his eyes and walked in the opposite direction.

"Ami?" A flash of blue appeared in the throng. "Ami, what are you doing? We've been looking everywhere for you!" Mission exclaimed, pushing past the patrons that lined the bar. "Have you seen Canderous?" she called out, and when she got closer, she smiled brightly. "Oh, good! You're both here!"

Aminta turned around and grabbed Mission's shoulder tightly. "Mishon! There'sh da gal!" She paused, and squinted her eyes before opening them wide. "How many headsh did you grow?" she leaned closer to the teenager, and nearly fell off of her chair.

Mission caught her, and pushed her back up to her seat. "Ami! You're wasted!"

Aminta shook her head to clear the blurry haze that clouded her vision. "Whoshe been shmoking in here?" she demanded, and there were several chuckles from the people surrounding them. "Und I am not washted! I am alwaysh a deshignated driver!" She exclaimed, flailing her arms wildly.

Mission's eyes widened considerably, and she looked over to Canderous. "You let her get this drunk?" she demanded.

"Shquirt'sh right! Shomeone'sh been shmoking in here!" he waved his hand around to clear the haze in a room which was quite obviously clear of smoke.

"Pathetic," Mission mumbled under her breath. She quickly turned her attention to the bartender. "Exactly what have they been doing?"

"It was a drinking competition," he explained simply as he poured another glass of ale and handed it to a patron.

"A drinking competition?" Mission demanded, stamping her foot. "They had a drinking competition?" Seeing that the fun was leaving the situation, the patrons of the bar slowly dispersed. She whirled angrily to Aminta. "You honestly thought you could win a drinking competition with HIM?"

"We're even. Shirty-shix ta shirty-shix. I can take 'im!" she tried to land a punch in Canderous' direction, but her fist landed on nothing but air.

"Gods above! Thirty six glasses? Of what?"

Aminta's face screwed up in concentration as she thought. "I dunno know!" She exclaimed after a few moments, her face filled with disbelief.

"Ugh," Mission muttered, and then activated her comm link. "Hey, Carth, Big Z. I found them."

Carth's voice chirped in on the comm. "What? Where are they?"

Mission glanced over at Aminta and Canderous, who were beginning to sing rather poorly. Mission winced. "We're at the bar."

"They've been at the bar all this time?" Carth demanded.

"Yeah. Um, you'd better come pretty quick."

A frustrated sigh was heard over the other end of the comm unit, and then there was nothing. Mission turned to Aminta with a scowl. "You do know that Carth is going to kill you, don't you?"

"I cashn take Reshublic!" Canderous growled, and Mission shook her head.

"How're you plannin' on doing that when you can't see three feet in front of you?" she demanded.

Canderous' face contorted as he squinted his eyes together, and stretched his arm out in front of him. "I cahn show shee shree feet in front!" he squinted harder. "Why dosh I have sheven fingersh?"

Mission slapped a hand to her forehead. "You two are going to have the worst hangovers in the galaxy tomorrow morning."

"Mission? What happened here?" Carth demanded as he came to stand beside the teenager.

"A drinking competition. Believe it or not, they're tied at thirty six glasses of," she cast a sidelong glance at Aminta. "Something."

"Thirty six?" Carth demanded, his eyes going wide. "How the hell is she even still alive after drinking thirty six drinks?" he gestured to Aminta's small frame, and she slumped slightly in her seat as she turned her head around wildly to look for him.

"Carsh! My favortisht man in duh galaxshy!" he proclaimed as she leaned over to him. Unfortunately, she leaned to far, and toppled off of her chair. When she hit the floor, she let out a high pitched giggle and Carth groaned.

"Is Canderous this bad off too?" he asked Mission who was watching the Mandalorian try to lick his elbow.

She cocked her head slightly to side, and then grimaced. "Definitely."

Carth made a noise in the back of his throat, and he bent to scoop Aminta up into his arms. "I can't believe that they got wasted. Who started this anyway?" Aminta and Canderous pointed wobbly fingers at each other, and Carth sighed. "Zalbaar, do you think that you can carry Canderous?"

":Of course:" The Wookiee replied, and effortlessly slung the burly man over his shoulder. Canderous flung his limbs about wildly for a while, screaming Mandalorian curses at Zalbaar, who merely re-adjusted the weight and headed for the door.

"Come on, Mission. Grab their stuff and get the door for us, will you?" Carth muttered as he leaned away from Aminta's foul breath. "She's going to drag us all through hell in the morning," he mumbled under his breath.

Mission winced, and then grinned. "I say that you tell her you forgot to pick up hangover pills. That'll teach her a lesson."

Carth grinned. "That is so incredibly cruel." Aminta suddenly became a deadweight in his arms, and he rolled his eyes. "But I'm liking the idea more and more."

Mission laughed impishly. "I'll hide the pills in my pillowcase. They'll never suspect a thing."

—————————————

"_Are you sure we should be doing this?" a young Jedi asked his companion, who simply ignored him and continued to unlock the door. _

_Getting nowhere with his companion, the Jedi wrung his hands. "You do realize that the council will exile us if they find out what we're doing."_

_Again, there was no response. The Jedi glanced around the dark corridors of the place, and shivered. "I don't like it here," he murmured. _

_The robed figure beside him shook its head as the lock clicked open and the doors slowly parted wide enough for the pair to enter. The room was dark and musty, much like the others that they had traveled through had been. The Jedi didn't see how the room would help them. "There's nothing here," he muttered. "We defied the council's anger for nothing!"_

_His companion heaved out a sigh, and walked further into the room, stopping before a short, oddly shaped pillar. It was somewhat round at the bottom, and various rings sliced into the air at the top. "This is what we came here for?" he demanded. _

_His companion reached out and touched the object, and a flash of green suddenly erupted from the hollow inside the pillar. Various galaxies were mapped out, a planet or so from each one missing. For once, the Jedi had nothing to say._

Aminta woke up in bed drenched in sweat, and she bolted foreword. Suddenly, her head began pounding, and she fell back into her pillows. Everything hurt… and she couldn't open her eyes. She groaned, but the sound rang in her ears and so she silenced herself, and just laid there, miserable.

"About time you woke up!" Mission exclaimed loudly from the other side of the room, and Aminta weakly lifted her hands to her ears to block out the noise. Having a weird dream was bad enough, but to wake up from a bad dream to a hangover was down right awful. "It's 10:00 already!" Mission chirped, and Aminta ignored the pain enough to roll over in bed and pull a pillow over herself.

Mission, however, refused to be dissuaded. "Come on, Ami! Let's go exploring!" the girl exclaimed, grinning wickedly.

"I have a damn hangover!" Aminta shouted, her voice muffled from the pillow, and she groaned at the pain that it caused.

"Well, serves you right for having a drinking competition with Canderous. Tell me, when you were drinking those thirty six glasses of whatever it was, did you ever stop to think of how you'd feel this morning?" Mission leaned over Aminta's bed and yanked the pillow off of her. Aminta cried out, and buried her head in her arms.

"It hurts," she whined, and Mission shook her head.

"You're pathetic," she muttered under her breath. "Just so you know, the Jedi council wants to meet with you in two hours," she called out over her shoulder as she left the room.

"What?" Aminta demanded, bolting up in bed. The action caused a sudden wave of nausea to overwhelm her, and she clamped one hand over her mouth as she cradled her head with the other one. "Shavit," she muttered, blindly swinging her legs over the side of her bed and roughly pulling herself to her feet. Her legs nearly gave out on her, and she had to grip the wall for support. _This is all Canderous' fault._

Slowly, she made her way inch by inch to the refresher, gripping the wall for dear life. Carth happened to be walking through the hallway as she pulled herself along, and laughed out loud by what he saw.

"You know, this is the second time that I've seen you with a hangover."

Aminta glared at him, angry for laughing at her. "The first one was a piece of cake compared to this," she muttered as she continued to drag herself down the corridor.

"You need a hand?" Carth offered with a grin.

"No!" Aminta snapped, and then winced at the pain that blossomed in her head. "I'm gonna kill the Mandalorian," she mumbled.

"You sure?" Carth taunted, and Aminta glowered.

"Get back to you cockpit, Pretty Boy," she grumbled, and Carth laughed again, shaking his head.

"Whatever you want, Beautiful. Just remember that you have to be at the enclave in two hours," he reminded her before heading off in the opposite direction.

"Great. First I'm having dreams about Jedi, and now I have to meet them. Brilliant, Jae. Just Brilliant," she muttered under her breath, and sighed with relief as she entered the refresher. She turned and blindly locked the door behind her before leaning over to embrace the toilet. After retching for the third time, Aminta believed she was finally out of body fluids, and she turned to the shower, stripping clumsily before clambering in.

The hot shower was heaven, and she emerged from the refresher feeling a lot better than she had when she walked in. Well…slightly. _I wonder how Canderous is doing?_ She didn't have to pursue the thought for long because the giant was collapsed outside the refresher door.

"You took forever," he growled, and the pair both gripped their heads at the pain that the noise ripped through them.

"I have an appointment," she retorted, and then groaned again. _Maybe there's something in the medbay to get rid of this…_ "If you'll excuse me."

"Yeah. Now that you've made me retch all over myself several times now!" he snarled, and stumbled through the refresher door. Aminta turned on her heel and headed towards the medbay, scouring the cabinets when she got there. "What the hell? A smuggling ship without hangover medications?" she screamed as she kicked a bare foot against the wall. She then howled with pain, and jumped around on one foot.

Once she could stand properly again, she reached into a cabinet and pulled out a run of the mill pain reliever. Not that it would be much help…however, she dumped three pills into her hand and swallowed them dry. Suddenly remembering her 'appointment', Aminta glanced down at her chrono and cursed when she saw that she had less than two minutes to reach the enclave. _Shavit._

—————————————————

The enclave was beautiful, Aminta grudgingly admitted. The walkways were wide and paved in marble; the rooms had tasteful, but few decorations. The color palate seemed to be a combination of orange, blue, and gold, and greenery stretched up the warm stone walls. All in all, Aminta could understand why Bastila seemed so attached to the place.

A few curious stares were tossed her way, but she ignored them and continued walking ahead. She hadn't expected the enclave to be so large; she thought that it would have taken her half the time to reach the council's chambers.

The walkway abruptly ended in a courtyard that stretched up to the sky. Despite herself, Aminta stilled as she took in the beauty of the fountain and natural accents that lined the large area. Feeling idiotic for stopping, she quickly shook her head and continued through the courtyard without a second glance and wound up in a hallway very similar to the one she had come from. _It's like a maze in here._

The corridor twisted several times, the occasional skylight allowing the hall to be basked in sunlight, which only served to aggravate Aminta's hangover. Finally, it came to an end before two large doors, guarded by a Jedi. _Another one,_ Aminta shuddered, recalling all of those she had seen thus far in the enclave. The place was like a bee's nest; swarming with the annoying creatures. _And now I get to be in a room filled with them. Oh joy._

The Jedi looked her over briefly before standing aside, and the lock mechanism unclicked on its own. Aminta stared at it warily. _I really hate Jedi._ The light was blessedly dim in the room, and Aminta nearly let out a sigh of relief before remembering who was in the room with her. Bastila entered from a side door, and Aminta threw up her defenses. If Bastila was going to be here with her, things couldn't be good.

"Padawan Shan, Miss Jae," a small green Jedi bowed his head to the two women, and Bastila bowed back respectfully. If possible, Aminta's spine straightened a tad. Bastila coughed, and gave Aminta a pointed look, but the older woman simply stared straight ahead at the Master who had spoken.

"What exactly am I doing here?" Aminta demanded, crossing her arms over her chest and placing all of her weight on one foot. A graying human scowled at her, and Bastila's face went red with mortification.

"Masters, I beg your pardon, but I am afraid she doesn't know the proper protocol…" Bastila tried to cover for the woman, but she was abruptly cut off.

"I've read enough books to know all of the protocol, thank you very much. But since I'm not a Jedi and I don't want to be here, I'm not adhering to the rules," Aminta retorted, glaring at each of the Jedi Masters. "Now, just tell me what I'm doing here so I can scram."

The four masters shared a glance, and finally a green twi'lek spoke up. "Forgive us. Padawan Shan has informed us of your… intense dislike for Jedi. We do not expect you to respect the council as most would," at this point, he turned and gave a pointed look to the graying Jedi.

"Correct, Zhar is," the small green Jedi Master admitted, his voice somewhat reluctant. "Know this we do, but some courtesy expected of you, there is."

"Vandar! do not treat her with such respect. It will only be repaid with betrayal…" hissed the graying man, and Zhar held up a hand to silence him.

"Remember the code, Vrook," he said sternly, and the man quickly checked himself. Zhar returned his attention to Aminta, who had watched the scene with apparent nonchalance. "You had a vision last night, am I correct?"

Aminta's breath hitched in her throat, and she quickly recovered. "I had a pretty weird dream about a Jedi and a guy in black robes," she replied with a slight shrug, and Vrook narrowed his eyes.

"Revan and Malak, the Jedi you saw, they were," Vandar clarified for her, and then watched Aminta closely to gauge her reaction.

The woman's eyebrows lifted a fraction. "Really?" she drawled.

"Ruins and a strange device, you also saw." Vandar continued as though she hadn't spoken, and Aminta rolled her eyes.

"It's called a Star Map." She frowned slightly as she saw the masters' reactions range from shock to fear. _What the hell?_ "How did you know that, anyway?" She asked after a moment's hesitation.

"Because Padawan Shan had the same vision," Zhar continued, casting a wary glance at his companions, who quickly donned their masks of serenity. _Creepy._

Aminta laughed suddenly. "Are you telling me that I'm force sensitive?"

Vrook scowled. "Force sensitivity is not something to be taken lightly!" he snapped, and a calming touch from Zhar caused him to remember himself.

"You are not only force sensitive, but you have apparently developed a…bond…if you will, with Bastila," Zhar informed her gently.

Aminta raised an eyebrow. "A bond?" she drawled.

"Unusual connection between two souls, it is. Pain, emotions, and thoughts you feel through this bond," Vandar supplied. "A bond such as this is very rare indeed."

Aminta stared at them. "This is ridiculous." _I really wish I didn't have this headache right now._

"I'm afraid that it is all too serious. You seem to be having visions that have been sent to you through the force, and since you are bonded to Bastila…" Zhar began, but Aminta cut him off.

"Is this just some byproduct of my hangover?" Bastila groaned from Aminta's side, and she turned to stare at the younger woman. "What? You think that this is normal?" Bastila closed her eyes and began to mumble the code. Aminta shook her head and looked back over to the masters.

Vrook fixed a severe glare on her, but Vandar continued calmly. "Normal it is not. On this bond, very few records were found."

"Because of this, and your strong force sensitivity, we began to consider you as an addition to our order. The visions that you are now having makes your training imperative," Zhar informed her.

Aminta gaped at the masters. "I'd rather kiss a Wookiee."

Zhar smothered a laugh with his hand, and Vrook stiffened. "You will abide by the council's decision."

Aminta raised an eyebrow. "First of all, I'm a grown woman; not a child. Secondly, I'm not a Jedi, so you can't go bossing me around. What I do is my business, and my business only."

"Care, you don't, about defeating Malak?" Vandar asked from his cushion. "The key to defeating him, your visions are."

Aminta crossed her arms over her chest. "No. No I don't. I could honestly care less who owns the galaxy."

"The destruction of Taris, did you not see?" Vandar probed. "The destruction of Telos, do you not recall? Under the Sith, more planets will be bombed, they will. Wish to see an end to the fighting, do you not?"

Aminta set her jaw. "Which is worse? The Sith bombing planets, or the Jedi allowing things in the galaxy to get so bad that the planets get bombed? In my opinion, the Jedi are every bit as bad, if not worse than Sith. At least the Sith take action."

Vrook coughed, and glared at her. "You speak like Revan," he said darkly.

Aminta raised her chin. "Well then, Revan was a smart man. After all, it was him that saved us from the Mandalorian threat while you sat their on your cushions," she said disdainfully.

"She," Zhar corrected. "Revan was a woman," he said, his voice slightly softer.

"But I thought…" Aminta began, but Vandar cut her off as he turned to address Zhar.

"Your student, she was. But speak of her, we must not." His words were filled with a hidden warning, and Aminta frowned. _Very strange._

Vrook turned to Aminta. "We hoped that it wouldn't come to this, but if you do not accept our offer, every crime that the Republic erased from your name will be in full effect. We will be forced to arrest you, and ship you to Coruscant for your trial."

Aminta's jaw dropped. "You're kidding me. I basically have no option then, do I?"

Zhar's gaze dropped to his hands, and Vandar spared the man a sympathetic glance before turning back to Aminta. "A matter of the galaxy, this is. An option, you can not have."

Aminta stared hard at him. "I'll agree, but on several conditions," she said after a moment.

"Considering that it is your neck on the line, you should re-think giving us demands," Vrook warned, his tone gruff and dangerous.

Aminta smirked at him. "Since it is the future of the Jedi on the line, you should re-think giving into my demands."

Vrook glared at her, but knew he couldn't protest. Aminta could have sworn that she saw Zhar's mouth slightly upwards, but that could have been a result of the dim lighting. Vandar sighed softly. "Conditions, you must list," he said wearily, and Aminta smiled.

"First off, my crew has to be able to stay here with me while I train, if not in the enclave, then on the Ebon Hawk." She paused, and Vandar nodded his head in approval. "Second, they need to be able to eat from the cafeteria here. If you won't let them eat inside the enclave, fine. But they get access to the food." Zhar gave her a slight, soft smile, and nodded his head. "Thirdly, I'm not going to fully obey the code. I've lived a normal life, and I'm not about to start changing my habits now." Vrook sputtered, but Vandar stilled his retort and nodded. "And finally, once this whole 'save the galaxy' bit is over, I can go back to being a smuggler. No more Jedi business."

Vrook stared hard at her at that point, before he finally nodded. "You are a grown woman, and the way of your Jedi is not in your memory. Perhaps it would be for the best if we were to part ways. Especially if you refuse to abide by the Jedi code." He glared at her at this point, and Aminta smirked.

Vandar glanced over to Vrook. "Much we have to discuss. Excused you are." The two women headed for the exit. "Miss Jae, return tomorrow morning, you will. Padawan Shan, stay, you must" Bastila nodded her goodbye to Aminta, and turned back to the masters.

"Yes?" she asked softly, loosely folding her hands in front of her

"What do you think of the newest addition to our order?" Zhar asked her, and Bastila met his eyes.

"She is strong in body and mind. She will learn quickly. However, her views are… much like those of Revan's."

Zhar nodded with a fond smile. "So I noticed." His tone quickly became serious. "However, that quality is a serious threat to our mission, considering how many Sith that she will encounter."

Vandar sighed. "Agree, I do. Padawan Shan, teach her in the ways of the light, you must. Her conscience, you must become."

Bastila stiffened. "Perhaps there is another more suited than I…" she began, but Vrook swiftly cut her off.

"You started this. You are going to be by her side until she decides to stop being a Jedi."

"So this is to be my punishment?" she demanded, her voice harsh.

Zhar quickly stepped in. "It is not your punishment. It is merely your consequence," he replied. Then, his tone softened. "I understand how difficult this is for you."

Bastila looked down, and let out a sigh. "It is my burden," she said finally, and Vandar nodded with approval.

"Go now, you must. Return with her tomorrow morning, you will." Bastila nodded, and exited the room quickly.

Vandar turned slowly to the other Masters. "Begun, a series of events, we have. Afraid I am, of the outcome."

————————————

Aminta screamed, and threw her pillow at the wall. "Of all of the fracking, idiotic, awful things to happen!" she screeched, and then clutched her head. "Blasted hangover," she muttered, sinking to her knees as she gripped her head.

Carth poked his head in through the open door. "I take it the meeting didn't go well?" Aminta growled, and plopped herself down on her bed.

"Oh, it went just great," she muttered sarcastically with a roll of her eyes. "Guess who's just been made an honorary member of the Jedi order?" She snatched the pillow off the floor, and balled it up in her hands.

Carth's jaw dropped, and he took a seat beside her on the bunk. "You're kidding."

"I wish," she growled, throwing the pillow against the wall opposite her bed. Carth followed the path, and winced slightly at the sharp thud that sounded when it made contact. He hated to think what would have happened if there had been a more solid object nearby.

"How did they manage to initiate you into the order?"

"In a word? Blackmail. I have enough crimes on my record to get me a nice lethal injection, and they threatened to drag up the charges and turn me over to the authorities."

Carth gaped at her. "Why the hell would they do that?"

Aminta rubbed the back of her neck with her hand. "Apparently, I've been having visions of this thing that can destroy Malak, and they need me to save the galaxy. Sounds like something out of a dumb holofilm, doesn't it?"

Carth frowned. "Yeah, actually it does. So you're seriously going to become a Jedi?"

Aminta rolled her eyes. "They agreed to let me go back to smuggling the instant this idiotic charade is over. That's about the only bright spot."

"What are you going to do until then?"

Aminta clenched her fists and a muscle in her jaw worked. "I'm going to deal with it," she ground out, and Carth winced.

"Who are you trying to convince? Me or you?"

"No one," she muttered under her breath, clenching her fists tighter.

Carth frowned. "Actually, I think that you're trying to convince yourself."

Aminta stared at him for a long, hard moment. It was purely the need to forget the past week that caused her to reach for him, and simply the need for a stress relief that made him respond.


	16. Chapter 16

**Disclaimer: **It's mine! Cackles It's all MINE!

-------------------------------------------

Carth stretched out slowly early the following morning, trying hard to forget the dream that he'd had the night before. He was absolutely positive that Aminta would not be happy about the kind of dream that it was.

He groaned, and propped himself up on his elbow as he forced his eyes open. With his new present awareness, two things were prominent in his mind: one was that Aminta sat fully dressed at the edge of her bed…the bed that he had so conveniently slept in, and two…the dream had been more than a dream. "Shavit," he muttered, and threw himself back down to the pillows. _Gods, if you really exist, please let this be nothing but a nightmare that I'm going to wake up from very, very soon!_

Aminta laughed slightly when she watched Carth's reaction. "Yeah. I woke up with about the same feeling," she confessed, resting her chin in her hand.

Carth groaned softly. "Glad to know the feeling's mutual," he muttered, but forced himself into a sitting position. "So… this has got to be the most awkward 'morning after' ever."

Aminta gave a half laugh again. "Yeah, no kidding." She quickly grew serious again. "We need to talk."

Cart sighed softly, and scrubbed at his face with his hands. "The words every man dreads," he mumbled under his breath, and then glanced up at her. "Okay."

"I'm somewhat surprised that this happened… we're two professionals, not a couple of teenagers," she sighed softly and looked down at her hands, and laughed nervously. "This is slightly strange."

Carth chuckled. "You just noticed?"

Aminta rolled her eyes. "Of course not. Look, what happened… We both know that it didn't mean anything to either of us. We're obviously not going to be able to forget that it occurred…but…" she paused and met his eyes. "I count you as one of my closest friends. I don't want this to screw up our friendship."

Carth smiled genuinely for the first time that morning. "Ah, it takes more than that to screw up a friendship. Of course, I've never been in the situation before, but…" he trailed off with a grin.

"Well, there's a first time for everything." She smiled tiredly at him, guilt gnawing at her insides. _Yeah. You just betrayed Kael. You should feel very guilty right now._

Carth chewed on his lower lip for a second. "Ami… We didn't use…"

Aminta ran a hand through her still unkempt hair. "Don't worry about it. I can't get pregnant," she replied quickly, absently running a hand over her stomach.

"But you said…"

"I was pregnant before, yes. But, complications arose. Now, I just…I can't."

"Good," Carth breathed, and then mentally kicked himself. "I didn't mean it like it sounded…I'm just really glad…no! No, I'm not glad…wait…um…"

Aminta laughed. "Stop before you dig yourself any deeper."

Carth grinned sheepishly. "Yeah." He cleared his throat, and glanced back over to her. "Um, you don't have any…diseases, do you?"

Aminta raised an eyebrow. "Isn't it a little late for that?" She smiled slightly when Carth grimaced. "No, I don't." Carth sighed with relief, and Aminta tossed him his clothes. "I've got to be heading to the enclave now. I get to visit those lovely Jedi that started this whole," she indicated the air between them, "business."

Carth cleared his throat and waved her out the door. "Don't kill them," he warned, and Aminta smirked.

"Much as I'd love to, I don't really relish the idea of getting my head sliced off."

"The Jedi don't kill their prisoners."

"I wasn't thinking about the Jedi," with that, Aminta turned and headed out the door, wincing when Mission bounded up to her.

"You gonna bother denying it?" the teenager asked pointedly with a wide grin, and Aminta groaned.

"The threat to chuck your undergarments in the incinerator is still good, you know. And I'll swipe all of your credits so you can't buy any more," she warned the girl coldly, and Mission shrugged.

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever. Now that I have proof, I don't really need to torment you about it anymore," the girl replied before bouncing off to Zalbaar. "Hey, Big Z! You wanna play some Pazaak?"

Aminta sighed sharply as she slung her bag over her shoulder, and headed towards the exit ramp, bumping into Canderous on the way down. "Have you seen Bastila?"

Canderous raised an eyebrow. "Leaving your room so soon?" Aminta glared at him, and he laughed. "It's a small ship. With so few people on board, not much stays a secret." Aminta's glare darkened. "Mission," Canderous clarified.

Aminta rolled her eyes. "Have you seen Bastila?" she repeated, and Canderous pointed towards the exit ramp. "Thank you," she muttered, hurrying to meet the Jedi. _Serves you right. You should really learn to think before you act. First the drinking competition and now this. Idiot._

When Bastila saw her, the Jedi's cheeks grew warm. "Yeah, yeah. Everyone knows. Let's get moving," Aminta grumbled, and Bastila cleared her throat.

"Should you do anything so…irresponsible again, which I'm sure you will…"

"Was that an insult?" Aminta demanded, but Bastila ignored her.

"…Please remember that we do have a bond. It was not exactly pleasant feeling your… thoughts," Bastila mumbled, her eyes glued to the ground.

Aminta winced. "Don't worry. It was only a slip up," she grimaced. "Okay, it was a major slip up. But it isn't happening again," she promised.

Bastila let out a pent up breath of relief. "Good. In that case, I will…neglect… to tell the masters of your…mishap."

Aminta grinned. "Thank you. I'm beginning to think that you're not such a bitch after all." Bastila coughed. "Right, right. Watch the language around the Princess," Aminta teased, and surprisingly, Bastila laughed.

———————————————

"Good morning, Padawan Bastila. Miss Jae," Zhar greeted the pair with a smile. "Did you have a good night's rest?"

"Yes," Aminta replied, just as Bastila said "Oh, of course." The two women paused and glanced at each other out of the corner of their eyes and shared a slight smile before turning to face the Jedi Masters.

Vrook scowled, and Zhar's smile widened. "Well then, we would best begin your training now, since you both slept so well," he informed Aminta, his tone bemused.

_Busted,_ Aminta thought, and the corner's of Bastila's mouth twitched upwards slightly. It was as though the younger woman had read her thoughts…

_Of course I did,_ Bastila replied, but none of the Masters seemed to notice. It was like her voice was in Aminta's head…_So, this bond really does exist._

_I informed you of that matter this morning, if you recall,_ Bastila's voice rang in her head, and Aminta blushed and then coughed.

"Your bond, you have discovered." Vandar noted, and both women worked to keep their facial expressions nonchalant. "Leave you may, Padawan Shan. Much we have to discuss with Aminta Jae." Bastila nodded and bowed to the Masters before exiting.

Aminta looked up to the council. "Yeah? What do we need to talk about?" she crossed her arms over her chest, and Vrook's normally stern expression bore an almost sour look.

Vandar sighed. "Your training, we must discuss. Zhar, your master is." Aminta looked to the twi'lek, who smiled encouragingly at her. "Learn to use the force, you must."

Aminta laughed. "That was kind of a given."

"You would do well to show more respect towards the council," Vrook advised, although a trace of a reprimand was evident in his voice.

"I will when they stop pointing out the obvious," Aminta retorted. She felt two stern pairs of eyes on her, but Zhar's were unexpectedly twinkling. "So, when exactly does this training start?" she asked, turning to the most friendly of the Masters.

Zhar grinned. "Immediately." He turned to the other two Masters. "If you will excuse us, there is much work that needs to be done." Vandar bowed his head graciously, and although Vrook said nothing, Aminta could feel his reluctance.

Vandar stood smoothly from his dais and motioned to his new student. "Follow me," he instructed, and left via the opposite door that Aminta had come through. Despite herself, she trusted the man, and so she followed him without question.

The door slid closed behind them, and the pair walked briskly through the halls of the enclave. "I will upload the schematics into your datapad after your training session, if you would like me to," Zhar offered when he saw how her eyes traveled down each of the corridors with trepidation. Aminta tossed him a grin in response.

"You've befriended Bastila?" he asked after a moment, and Aminta smirked.

"I wouldn't exactly say we're friends. I'd say that we've come to…an unspoken understanding," she clarified, and Zhar shook his head with amusement.

"Well, you must have gotten on her good side for her to cover you like she did," he observed, watching her out of the corner of her eye.

"I'm sure I have no idea what you're talking about," Aminta responded with a Poker face, and Zhar smiled.

"Of course you don't." They arrived at a door, and Zhar quickly tapped in the passcode into a nearby console, allowing Aminta at a first glimpse of the room that she would be spending most of her time in.

It was decorated in the standard enclave colors- blue, gold, and orange, and the typical greenery adorned the walls as they did in the halls. A large skylight allowed the sun to bask the room in natural light, and the furnishings were few. Besides the workbench in the far corner, several large cushions sat around a low table set with dining ware. Despite the sand pit in the center of the room, the rest of the space was open for combat training. "Does it meet with your approval?" Zhar asked, his voice thick with suppressed humor.

Aminta sighed, and plopped down on one of the cushions. "Were you really Revan's master?" she asked after several moments, stopping Zhar in his tracks. Cautiously, he sank down onto the cushion opposite her.

"Yes," he replied slowly, eyeing Aminta carefully.

Aminta pursed her lips and frowned. "What was he…she," Aminta quickly corrected herself, "like?"

Zhar glanced her over warily, before giving into a reminiscent smile. "Revan arrived here when she was six… old, considering the ages of most of the younglings that we take in. However, even at such a young age, she was extremely focused… not to mention one of the most gifted force wielders I've ever known. She learned fast, and quickly passed all of those in her class, and she was soon training with twelve year olds…at only seven!" Pride colored his voice, and his smile grew slightly wider.

"But, she was a handful. After she was established here, she started coming out of her shell. She actually gave Master Vrook a makeover while he slept when she was thirteen," he laughed at the memory, and Aminta joined in. "She snuck a pair of Gizka into Master Atris' closet, and soon the woman's room was over run," he shook his head at the memory. "The worst, though, was that I always had to pretend to be mad at her, even when I was laughing inside."

Aminta grinned. "Sith Lord or not, I like her. A shame I couldn't have met her before she died."

Zhar stilled, and his face grew somber. "You are just like Revan," he said softly, and patted her shoulder when she frowned at him. "Are you ready to begin your training?" he swiftly changed the subject, and Aminta allowed it to drop.

"Sure. Where do we start?" she reached for her vibroblade, but Zhar stilled her hand.

"Right here," he indicated the table.

Aminta arched a brow. "Right here?" she repeated, and stared up at him. "Am I sawing the table in half?"

Zhar smiled. "No. You are going to lift the cup."

Aminta reached out and picked it up. "Whoop Dee doo," she replied with a roll of her eyes.

Zhar grinned. "Not with your hands." The cup flew out of her hands on its own accord, and set itself back on the table. "Now you try."

Aminta stared hard at the object. "You have got to be kidding me," she muttered. Zhar's broadening grin let her know just how amusing he found the situation. "How am I supposed to lift a cup without touching it with my hand?"

Zhar shrugged. "I'm sure you'll find a way," he said simply, before heading towards the doors.

"You're just going to leave me here?" Aminta demanded, slamming her fist down on the table. Zhar laughed out loud and nodded as he continued walking. "And here I thought you were a good guy!" she called out to his retreating back, and the doors slit shut behind him.

"Damn Jedi!" Aminta seethed, and stared at the cup. "They're all the same. Don't you agree?" The cup didn't reply, and Aminta groaned. "I'm going crazy," she muttered under her breath. "Talking to a damned cup."

She let out a sigh, and stared hard at the object. "Okay…Levitate!" she commanded, lifting her hands in the air. The cup refused to budge. "Levitate!" she tried again, but once again, there was no movement. "Fly! Do something!" she shouted, glaring at the still immobile cup.

"This isn't working," she muttered, slumping and setting her chin in her hand. "Some Jedi I make." She thought back to Davik's estate and scowled. "Sure, I can collapse a ceiling, but I can't move a damn cup! Just my luck."

She frowned slightly as she examined her situation. The cup was, for all intensive purposes, completely unmovable. She was out of patience, angry, and at her wit's end. The cup still wasn't moving. Aminta's frown deepened. _What exactly did I do at Davik's estate? How did I make that ceiling collapse?_

She knew that she had summoned a rafter out of place, but what she needed to figure out was _how_ she had done it. All she could remember was feeling frantic, needing to get to the girls before…._I am not thinking of that now!_ She closed her eyes and buried her head in her hands as she thought. "This is impossible!" she exclaimed finally to the empty room.

"_True faith isn't accepting what everyone knows to be true or possible. It's closing your eyes and seeing what everyone else finds to be impossible."_ The forgotten memory of Trask's words floated into her head. "Where did that come from?" she wondered aloud. Of course, the empty room had no answer for her.

"Might as well try it," Aminta mumbled, closing her eyes and lifting the cup with an imaginary hand. Her eyes flew open, however, when she heard a crash somewhere above her. Looking up, she winced to find the juice splattered all over the ceiling. "Whoops," she murmured. "I guess I have to control the force that I lift objects with too."

She glanced over to where the cup was laying on the floor, and tapped into the growing presence inside herself to straighten it. The cup lifted into the air wobbly, and was set down with a bit of a thud. Biting her lip, Aminta lifted it again, and carefully maneuvered it over to the table, where she set it down with a tad more gentleness.

Seeing the cup sitting back in it's place gave Aminta a surge of satisfaction, and she grinned. "Take that you lousy old Jedi," she mumbled under her breath, beaming at the object.

"Proud of our self, are we?" Zhar asked from behind her, and Aminta let out a frustrated sigh.

"I knew you were there, you know. One of my many…gifts."

Zhar raised an eyebrow. "Of course," he replied with an easy smile.

Aminta rolled her eyes. "So, what comes next?"

"You move a bigger object."

——————————————————

"Mission, you wanna play some Pazaak?" Aminta called out as she slumped onto the couch in the Ebon Hawk. "No, scratch that. I'm too tired to play Pazaak." She leaned her head back to rest on the cushions.

"They had a holovoid store in town, and I picked some up today. Wanna watch one?" Mission offered, plopping down onto the cushion beside Aminta.

Aminta rubbed a hand over her forehead. "Sure. Which ones did you get?"

"Let's see…" Mission lifted a canvas bag, and thumbed through the disks inside. "Um…_Jedi!_" Aminta scowled, and Mission shrugged. "Seemed appropriate at the time," Mission muttered. "Rodian Kisses, Star Flash, Lifedebt, Marked by a Hunter, Love is Waiting, or Dark Romance."

"Ugh, Mission. You picked up a holofilm called Rodian Kisses?"

Mission shrugged. "Well, I didn't exactly pick it out. I kind of shoved a big handful into a bag. I didn't really know what I was getting," she admitted.

Aminta sighed. "Don't tell Carth about your shoplifting. He'll have my head on a platter," she muttered. "I feel like watching something slow paced and mushy. Love is Waiting sounds pretty good."

Mission frowned. "Dark Romance sounds mushy, but slightly more exciting."

"It sounds like a fatal affair between a killer and an unwilling victim," Aminta noted, and Mission checked the back of the case.

"You're right!" The girl exclaimed. "Hey, that actually sounds pretty good."

"Stick in Love is Waiting now. I've put up with Jedi all day long. I've had about as much excitement as I can handle."

Mission rolled her eyes. "Fine, fine, have it your way," she muttered, taking the disk out of its casing and placing it in the reader of the holovision. Soft, dramatic music filled the common room, and Mission wrinkled her nose. "This is going to be so cheesy," she grumbled as she adjusted herself into a more comfortable position.

"Just shut up and watch the movie."

Two later, both Mission and Aminta had run through a box of tissues and were steadily making their way through their second box.

"_No! Nerrie! You can't leave me…I love you! I've denied it for so long…but… I can't anymore!" She raced to him, falling to her knees before a twi'lek who stared down at her coldly._

"_You left me, baby. Left me for a son of a schutta who can't rub two credits together. I loved ya once, but there's nothing left here for me anymore!"_

"Nerrie, no!" Both Mission and Aminta called out in unison. "You can't leave her, she loves you!" Aminta cried, waving her tissue angrily at the screen.

"You love her too, I know you do!" Mission shouted, blowing her nose.

"_But Nerrie!" the woman gasped. "You've been the only man I've ever felt anything for!" she clung to his jacket desperately. "I need you!"_

"_If ya needed me, ya never would have left me. I used to feel something, but all that's left of my heart is a black hole."_

"_Nerrie…you can't leave me! Why, I'll kill myself if you do."_

_Nerrie stared coldly at her. "Go ahead, I'll watch."_

"No!" Aminta and Mission shouted in unison, and Carth hurried into the room.

"What is it? What's wrong?" Carth demanded, his face growing even more concerned when he saw how the two women were shaking with sobs. Aminta quickly shushed him and turned her attention back to the screen.

_The woman choked back a sob, as she hurried to the other side of the apartment and flung open the window. She swallowed hard as she sat on the ledge, and stared into Nerrie's eyes. "You send me to my death," she proclaimed through her tears, and then she jumped. _

"_No!" Nerrie cried, sprinting to the window and watching as her body fell from the towers of Coruscant._

Aminta and Mission held onto each other as they sobbed. Carth stood behind them and shook his head with amazement. "Pathetic," he muttered, and Aminta glared at him through her tears before turning back to watch the end.

"_No…Gina…!" Nerrie called, hanging his head with defeat. "I love you," he whispered._

The screen went black, and Aminta and Mission started a fresh round of sobs. "You…and your…mushy…movies!" Mission managed between breaths. "We should've…watched…Dark Romance!"

"Like…it would…have been any…better!" Aminta gasped as tears poured from her eyes.

Carth started laughing from behind them. "You two are idiotic!" he exclaimed, holding his sides as he continued to laugh. "You are all worked up over a movie. A MOVIE!" He laughed harder, and pointed to Aminta. "And you, who hardly ever cry, are sobbing your head off because of a corny Romance. This is unbelievable."

Aminta wiped away her tears and glared at him. "It wasn't corny!" she defended herself.

Carth's laughter bordered on hysterics. "The heroine jumped out of a window because a guy left her. That has got to be…the corniest thing I have ever heard of!"

"What is happening?" Bastila asked as she poked her head into the room. Seeing Aminta's tears, she hurried over to the woman. "Did he say something to you?" she demanded, glaring at Carth.

Aminta's sobs ceased, and changed into peals of laughter. "No… Mission and I were just watching a movie, and we were crying…and…" she paused and looked at Carth. "It really was corny, wasn't it?"

Mission, Carth, and Aminta joined together in laughter, and Bastila sighed. "I will cease to attempt understanding the members of this crew," she mumbled. "Dinner is in the galley!" she called over her shoulder as she headed to the room, bringing a large container with her.

":Dinner:" Zalbaar roared, poking his head out from the control room.

Mission laughed harder. "Yeah, dinner!"

Zalbaar looked at the three and sighed deeply. ":Cubs:" he growled under his breath before stalking off to the galley.

Aminta wiped tears from her eyes and forced herself up off the couch. "I'm going to go take a shower and get into bed. I'm pretty tired," she excused herself, and Carth caught her arm.

"_After_ you eat." His tone left no room for challenge.

Aminta's face scrunched up, but she nodded. "Fine. I don't feel like fighting you now anyways. But don't always expect me to give in so easily," she warned and Carth grinned.

"I would never."

————————————————

"Do I have to move the table again?" were the first words out of Aminta's mouth as she entered her training session the following morning. Zhar shook his head ruefully.

"You must learn patience."

"I've learned it; I just don't use it," Aminta retorted, and Zhar had to resort to a cough to stifle his laughter.

"The answer to your question is no. You will not be using that aspect of the force today. Rather, you will train in combat." Zhar pulled out his lightsaber, and flicked it on. "I've changed the crystals so that the blade will stun, not burn," he explained when Aminta stared at him with wide eyes.

"Great," she drawled. "I'll get shocked. Sounds like loads of fun."

"Take out your blade," Zhar instructed, and stepped into the sand pit. "When you train in different types of terrains, you increase your chances of winning in a real fight."

"Tell me something I don't know," Aminta muttered under her breath, pulling out her vibroblades.

Zhar circled her slowly. "So, what did you do when you returned to your ship last night?"

Aminta didn't break eye contact as she followed his movements. "Mission and I watched a corny romance movie, and got made fun of by half of the crew. Then Carth tried to shove as much food down my throat as he could before Zalbaar ate it all."

Zhar snorted. "I am very glad that I live at the enclave. Your ship sounds far too rowdy for my taste."

"Really?"

The pair leapt at each other, their weapons a flurry of glowing blue and silver. Aminta stumbled several times in the sand, unaccustomed to fighting in such terrain. However, she did not give in easily, and Zhar had to triple his efforts before he finally disarmed her.

He grinned slightly as he pointed the saber at her chest. "It appears that you have much to learn."

Aminta frowned slightly, and called her blade to her hand, knocking Zhar's lightsaber out of his grasp quickly. She pressed the tip of her blade against his collar bone and smirked. "It appears you have much to learn about your students."

Zhar's face betrayed his shock, but then a wide grin played across his features. "I didn't strike when I had the chance. I should have known that _you_ would take the opportunity."

Aminta smirked again and lowered her weapon. "So, what else have you got to teach me, Master?" she gave a mocking little bow, and Zhar raised a brow at her.

"You had the element of surprise in our fight. It will be very rare that you will have such an ability when pitted against a Sith Lord. What will help you, however, is to learn the lightsaber forms."

"Uh huh…"

Zhar smiled at her confusion. "I've heard that you like dancing. A lightsaber form is no more than a complicated dance…but with weapons."

Aminta gaped. "You guys dance here!" she exclaimed, shaking her head. "No wonder you can't stop Malak. Using dancing as fighting…Ha!"

Zhar shook his head. "It was an analogy. While like a dance, the lightsaber forms are indeed quite deadly," he clarified, and Aminta frowned.

"Malak was here… he knows the forms. He's probably taught half of his assassins, if not all of them. If the forms are a dance, the steps and movements are predictable. The Sith will be anticipating every move that I make."

Zhar frowned, and then smiled at her. "You have a Mandalorian with you, correct?"

Aminta furrowed her brows. "Yes…"

"Learn the forms, and ask him, to teach you several things as well. None of the Sith will be anticipating that sort of combination."

Aminta smiled unexpectedly. "For a Jedi council member, you aren't half bad. So, are you going to teach me, or aren't you?"

————————————————

Okay, major, major writer's block this time. I had no idea how to end it, so I left it at this. Sorry. It is also rather short, but… sigh Only so much you can do when your head is buried in the ground.


	17. Chapter 17

Aminta slumped into a cushion and crossed her arms over her chest as she scowled at Zhar. "What do you look so happy about?" she muttered.

Zhar grinned. "You have achieved more in months than most Jedi have in years. I think that gives me more than enough of a reason to be happy."

Aminta rolled her eyes and re-positioned herself. "Whatever, she grumbled under her breath, and Zhar laughed.

"You could show a little more enthusiasm, you know. Just because you have…personal problems doesn't mean…"

Aminta jumped up from her chair and glared at him. "It's the first time I've had it in the past seven months. Seven!" she exclaimed heatedly.

Zhar shook his head. "What you are experiencing is a normal bodily function. It is not something to be upset over," he reasoned calmly.

Aminta's glare darkened. "You try going through insane cravings for two days, followed by cramps so bad you need to be on stims to walk, and bloating to boot. I don't think you'd be too happy!" she had inched closer to his as she spoke, her fists clenched tight at her sides.

"Not to mention awful mood swings," Zhar added, and Aminta nearly screamed at him.

"I'll come back when I feel better," she declared, and went to leave the room. Zhar caught her arm and pulled her back down to her cushion.

"No, you're staying here. Plenty of women work through their cycles, and you're no different from the rest of them."

"Plenty of women don't go seven months without having one!" Aminta whined, and winced at how childish she sounded.

"You are getting your lightsaber today," Zhar tried, and Aminta glared.

"So? The lightsaber will still be here three days from now!"

Zhar crossed his arms over his chest. "You will get it today. Do you understand me?"

"I understand you, but I'm not agreeing with you," Aminta retorted as she went to stand again, but Zhar quickly pushed her back down.

"What if you face the Sith when you have these…problems?" Zhar tried to show her the folly of not working through her discomfort.

Aminta glowered. "I'd kick their sorry asses. The only reason I'm not kicking yours is because you've been relatively kind to me."

Zhar winced. "That sounds like the dark side."

Aminta rolled her eyes. "Dark side is bad, I got it. You people don't need to keep harping on it. I get it all day every day here, and when I go back to the ship, I get another lecture, compliments of Bastila."

"Don't underestimate the power of the dark side," Zhar warned, and Aminta scowled. "Revan did… and look what happened to her. Your personalities are identical. You would fall just as easily as she did."

"Why do you always compare me to her?" Aminta demanded.

Zhar sighed. "Because…" He fumbled for words, and his eyes grew misty. "I loved her as though she were my own daughter…even though the council frowns on such behavior. You remind me so much of her…it's like having her back; as though the wars never happened." His eyes cleared, and he glanced down at the young woman before him. "I'm sorry if I have let personal feelings interrupt your training."

Aminta rubbed her forehead, and finally sighed. "Come on, let's start with the lightsaber already. The sooner I get it, the sooner I can crash."

Zhar smiled at her, and gently brushed a strand of hair off of her forehead tenderly before catching himself and hastily drawing back. Aminta frowned at the exchange, but didn't comment.

"I've been observing you over the course of your training, and I've found that combat is your specialty. Although you were quick to pick up on meditation and other such aspects of the force, you undertook our sparring sessions with the ease of a seasoned Jedi."

Aminta gave him a half smile. "It's just like dancing," she replied with a small smile, recalling their conversation from over two months ago. Zhar grinned, and nodded in agreement.

"Since you are so combat oriented, I have chosen the path of the Jedi Guardian for you. The guardians are deadly in combat and highly protective of those they hold close… they will even sacrifice themselves to defend those they love." Zhar's eyes held a spark of knowledge that made Aminta slightly uncomfortable, and she resisted the urge to squirm.

He smiled slightly and indicated the workbench. "The parts are laid out for you, however, you must learn how to build it without any help from me."

Aminta glanced up at him. "Can I make myself a double bladed one?" she asked brightly, and Zhar found himself unable to refuse her request. She did wield a double sided vibroblade quite well… He shook his head ruefully, and added a second crystal to the table

"Thanks," Aminta responded, and stared hard at the pieces laid out before her. She smiled slightly as she recalled her time with Canderous working on the swoop bike, and thanked whatever gods there were for the mechanical knowledge that she had gleaned from the experience.

Zhar smiled at his pupil as he saw her entire focus was on fitting the pieces together, and he placed his fingers on his lips and then touched his forehead, giving her a slight bow before turning and walking from the room.

Aminta didn't notice when Zhar left; she was too busy concentrating on the bits that her fingers were flying to piece together. After over an hour of nonstop work, her back was aching, and she was in dire need of the refresher, but the saber was finished.

Aminta eyed it critically, and after a moment, she grabbed a few pieces of scrap metal, and twisted them carefully into a design to form a decorative ring around the hilt. That finished, she bit her lip and wrapped her fingers around the saber, stepping into a fighting stance. Then, ever so carefully, she tapped into the force and bent the metal beneath her fingers to conform to her grip.

She smiled slightly, and activated the saber, hoping that it would work. She extremely satisfied when twin beams of light shot out of both ends of the hilt, and her smile broadened into a wide grin. She tossed the weapon around in the air, testing the weight in her hands, and marveled at how light it was. _It's perfect, and I don't care if I sound prideful._

She flicked it off, and clipped it to her belt, cursing the idiotic robes the council had forced her to wear. They were made to be light, but her frame was so small that they felt heavy on her. The many layers of the robes also served to make her stifling hot while she practiced. Not to mention the fact that it made taking care of her feminine hygiene problems extremely difficult. After many hours of coaxing, begging, and even arguing, Zhar had finally agreed to get her a smaller pair made that only had two layers and leggings instead of the many layers of cloth that were swathed about her legs.

At that moment, Zhar entered the room and glanced between Aminta and the worktable, frowning. "You are giving up so quickly? It hasn't been more than two hours."

Aminta grinned at him, and tossed him the saber that she had clipped to her belt only moments before. Zhar's jaw went slacked as he glanced over the weapon, taking in every detail. "It is very nice," he said after a long, heady moment, and he passed the saber back to her. "Most padawans take at least a week to create one far simpler than yours. Some knights don't even add as many personal touches."

Aminta shrugged as she put the weapon back in its place beneath her robes. "Can I go home now?"

Zhar cleared his throat, and nodded briefly, smiling slightly as she rushed out the door. Yes, she was just like Revan. Zhar's smile disappeared as quickly as it had come to his face. _I must speak with the council._

————————————————

Aminta attacked the refresher unit with a vengece, scrubbing the shower so that she was up to her elbows in soap suds. Music blared loudly into her ears via her head phones, and she didn't notice when a hand came to grip her shoulder. Startled at the contact, she jumped, and quickly flicked the switch on her headpiece to the off position before removing them. "What do you want?" she demanded, turning to face Carth.

Carth shook his head. "What are you doing to yourself, Beautiful? Yesterday it was the galley, today it's the refresher…"

Aminta rolled her eyes. "I'm not doing anything to myself. I happen to genuinely enjoy cleaning."

Carth squatted down beside her. "That explains the state on your bunk," he said dryly, and Aminta cuffed him on the back of his head.

"I like my room messy. What does that have to do with anything?" she muttered, leaning back into the refresher and scrubbing harder.

"The droids can do that, you know." Carth put in, and Aminta glared at him.

"I _like_ doing it. End of story."

Carth grinned, and glanced her over. "You came to the ship early today," he noted, making himself comfortable of the floor beside her. "And I know for a fact it wasn't to clean out the refresher."

"You would," Aminta grumbled, scrubbing the tiles harder.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Carth demanded indignantly.

Aminta rolled her eyes. "Don't act innocent. You've been checking the waste baskets for the past two months. You know very well why I came back early."

Carth flushed at being caught. "Can you blame me?"

Aminta sighed and shook her head. "Look, Carth. I can't get pregnant. I wasn't lying to you when I told you that. I don't lie."

Carth sighed. "I know; I wasn't accusing you of lying. But, I couldn't be sure. Half of the time that there are fertility problems in a marriage, it has to do with the male. I was just worried that maybe your husband was the problem…"

"Kael was not the problem. He was perfectly capable of having children. If it hadn't been for my deformities, we probably would have had four by the time he died," she retorted heatedly, and pressed a hand to her aching head.

Carth winced. "Deformities?" Aminta lifted her other hand to her head to try and stop the pounding. "Sorry," he attempted to apologize, and bit his lip.

Aminta sighed. "Don't be. I had a tubular pregnancy when I was seventeen, so that tube was pretty much shot. Normally, that wouldn't be much of a problem, but I was born with a defective fallopian tube."

"I'm not sure exactly what's wrong…it doesn't line up properly or something," she waved her hand in dismissal of the reason. "It would be almost impossible for sperm to reach the egg. Pretty much a one in a trillion chance. And if by some miracle it did, my last pregnancy completely wrecked my uterus, and it is completely, one hundred percent impossible for an egg to attach to the wall." she shrugged, and turned her attention back to scrubbing.

Carth felt as though he had just endured a biology lesson from high school, but quickly put the thought out of his mind. "Sorry," he mumbled, and Aminta smiled.

"It's okay. I've gotten used to the idea of dying childless," she replied with a light smile, but Carth saw through the facade.

"No you haven't. If you had, you wouldn't want a child as much as you do now."

Aminta's hands stilled, and the smile dropped from her face. "You always want what you can't have," she replied with a bitter laugh. Carth nodded slightly in agreement.

"Well, somewhere, there are three little girls that need a mother, and I'll be more than happy…" her voice trailed off, and she squeezed her eyes closed at the wave of pain that rolled over her at the thought of the children who had died on Taris.

Carth bit his lip, and rested a hand on her shoulder. "Before them… you honestly wanted to adopt three girls?" he asked quietly, and Aminta nodded slowly. "That's why you were certain about making it legal. You'd thought through everything before hand."

Aminta opened her eyes. "Yeah," she whispered, and Carth gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze.

"So, you never did answer my question. What are you doing cleaning a refresher unit when you want to be sleeping?" he asked, swiftly changing the subject.

"Who says I want to be sleeping?" she ground out, attacking the tiles again. "Will you kindly get out?" she asked when he refused to move.

"I will once you tell me why you've felt you had to go on a vicious cleaning spree when you feel like bantha poodoo."

"You're a man. How do you know how I feel?"

Carth grinned. "I was married, remember? I dealt with this sort of thing on a monthly basis."

"Oh," Aminta replied lamely, changing her position to ease the aching in her back. "Will you leave now?" she asked, and Carth laughed at her.

"I go when you tell me what's bothering you." As if to emphasize his point, he placed his hands behind his head and leaned back.

Aminta groaned, and attacked the tiles again. "You'd hate me if I told you," she warned him, and Carth raised an eyebrow. Aminta bit her lip. "I prayed that I was pregnant," she blurted out, and Carth stuttered.

"What?" he roared.

Aminta bit her lip and placed all of her attention on cleaning. "I want a baby more than I can say…I hoped that a miracle would happen. I'm always so careful…you're the only guy I've met since Kael who I wouldn't mind being the father."

"You've elected me to be the father of your kid?" he demanded loudly. Aminta shushed him, and felt with her newfound force powers to see if anyone had heard. Finding that no one had, she relaxed.

"No. Not elected. I'm just saying that I wouldn't have minded if it had been you."

"Who says I would have been happy about it?" Carth demanded, and Aminta put a hand to her forehead.

"You wouldn't have even known! I would have done this stupid thing for the Jedi, and then gone to live with an old friend of mine. I wouldn't hit you up for money or anything like that; I most likely wouldn't even have told you."

"You're honestly saying that you would have given birth to my child, and neglected to tell me of its existence?" Carth rose to his feet and raked a hand through his hair. "Of all the…"

"See! This is why I didn't want to tell you. I was hoping I'd get pregnant. I didn't. End of Story. Now will you leave me alone?" She attacked the tiles again, furiously blinking back tears. _Damn these mood swings. I hate them more than I hate the Jedi!_

Carth noticed the change in her, and calmed himself slightly, although his blood was still boiling. He crouched down and attempted to chase the rest of the anger away. "I'm not sure what to say," he confessed after a few long moments.

"Don't say anything. It was wrong and selfish of me and I know it." Aminta said the words without conviction, and despite himself, Carth had to suppress a smile.

"If you scrub that tile any harder, you're going to make it disintegrate," he commented, noting how long she had been after that one particular spot.

Aminta flushed, and then scowled. Carth gave her a half smile, and stood. "Come on, Ami. You're done in here," he told her, offering his hand. Aminta glared at the offending appendage, and Carth shook his head.

"I don't want to get up," she retorted. "I'm not finished yet." She turned her attention back to the refresher unit.

"The stims that you filched from Canderous wore off, didn't they?"

Aminta scowled. "I didn't filch anything!" she exclaimed indignantly.

"Excuse me. The stims that you had Mission filch from Canderous for you wore off."

Aminta sighed, and rubbed a hand over her face. "I'm fine." At Carth's raised brow, she shrugged. "I just need a hot shower," she looked at her chrono and winced, "and maybe a little sleep," she admitted.

Carth shook his head. "The second I leave, you're going to go back to scrubbing, aren't you?" Aminta stared at him with a poker face, and Carth stifled a moan. "This is what you do, isn't it? When you are upset by something, you work yourself to the bone so you won't have time to think about it."

Aminta shrugged. "Going on a cleaning spree is a whole lot better than vowing revenge on Saul Karath."

Carth's face flushed with anger and his fists clenched at his sides. "What did you just say to me?" he demanded.

Aminta bit her lip. "I didn't mean for it to come out like that. What I meant was, if I work, I do something productive. I let the anger out. But you keep it bottled inside; your hatred's eating you alive, Carth."

Carth stared straight into her eyes. "I have nothing else to live for."

Aminta's lips curled into a soft smile, and she met his gaze. "Neither do I."

Carth swallowed, and then laughed bitterly. "Some pair we make. There's nothing for either of us in this life, and yet we hang around. Pathetic, isn't it?"

Aminta smiled and held out her arm to Carth. "I think I might need some help. My legs are asleep from sitting on them for so long."

The corner of Carth's mouth curved upwards ruefully as he gently pulled her to her feet. "Want me to get you some pain meds?"

Aminta shook her head no as she stomped her feet on the floor, wincing at the painful tingles that traveled up her legs. "Just help me get to my bunk without tripping over my own two feet."

—————————————-

"Are we there yet?" Mission piped up the following morning, and Aminta gritted her teeth with impatience. Canderous smirked.

"No, we're not." she ground out, and Mission busied herself by kicking a stone through the field.

"I don't see what's taking so long," the teenager complained. "What exactly are we doing anyway?"

Aminta suppressed the urge to roll her eyes. "We are removing the darkness from a tainted grove," she replied for the seventeenth time. _But hey, who's counting?_

Canderous snorted. "That has got to be the vaguest description of an activity that I have ever heard."

Aminta sighed. "That's exactly what I said. And then that idiotic _Master_ Vrook," she placed a mocking emphasis on the word Master, "told me that I was impertinent, and a stain on the Jedi Order. Like he's perfect," she grumbled, and groaned as she saw yet another pack of Kath hounds attacking them.

Canderous grinned as he brandished his insanely large machine gun. "I love this planet," he barked enthusiastically as he took aim and shot the nearest canine.

"You are one sick man," Mission muttered under her breath, scowling at him when he kicked her calves in retaliation.

"That's no way to talk to your elders, young lady," Canderous muttered, grunting as his massive gun backfired.

"Well, since you're REALLY old… I guess I can't talk to you at all," Mission retorted, shooting several of the dogs down herself.

Before Canderous had the chance to retaliate, Aminta stepped in. "Can you two save the insults for later? We're kind of busy now," she reminded them. She eyed the dwindling pack of Kath cautiously. "Watch my back," she ordered before jumping into the fray.

"Does she always have to do that?" Mission asked, picking off the hounds that got too close to her friend.

"What? Bark out orders or jump into the middle of things?"

Mission laughed, the peace temporarily restored between the two. But only temporarily. Canderous wasn't likely to forget the time that she exchanged his soap for motor oil, or how she had stolen all of the bullets to his gun and forced him to buy new ones. She still hadn't told them where they were, and the bullets that he had to purchase had been expensive.

The Kath fell quickly beneath Aminta's new found force powers, and Mission wondered if she even needed them to watch her back. So far, she had proved herself to be more than capable. Aminta brushed a sweaty strand of hair out of her face, and practically pranced up to the waiting pair. "That was easy."

Mission sighed, and Canderous shook his head, her reaction confirming Mission's earlier observations. "I wonder why the dogs are acting this way…Kath hounds generally docile," Canderous noted.

"Apparently, this 'tainted grove' is turning the hounds into killing machines. Or, so the masters say," Aminta rolled her eyes to indicate exactly what she thought of the said masters.

Mission grinned, and then surveyed the terrain. "Are we almost there yet?"

Aminta gritted her teeth. "No," she ground out. Canderous grinned and crossed his arms over his chest, enjoying her discomfort.

"When will we get there?" Mission tried again.

"We'll there when we get there!" Aminta snapped, clipping her saber to her belt.

"You know, you sound like a cryptic old Jedi. I think they're rubbing off on you," Canderous smirked.

"Can it, Candy," Aminta growled, and glowered at him. Canderous scowled at the nickname, and shoved her into Mission.

"Hey!" Mission exclaimed when Aminta made contact, and Canderous laughed gruffly. Aminta glared at him, and reached for her lightsaber.

"Ah-uh. The dark side, remember?" He mocked, and luckily, a crowd of laigreks came up in a tidal wave before Aminta could cleave him in two.

Mission groaned. "How many of these things are there?" she muttered, picking them off. Aminta sighed as though in agreement with the teenager as she leapt into action.

Canderous grinned as he shot the animals. "Die you bastards!" he laughed. Aminta and Mission froze for a second to stare at him incredulously before going back to picking off the insect-like creatures.

"Man, has he got issues," Mission mumbled under her breath.

The laigreks soon were nothing but a pile of corpses at the trio's feet. Aminta clipped her saber back to her belt and looked around. "Hm… It looks like they were guarding that cave over there," she mused, gesturing to a large crevice in the rock approximately 60 feet away.

"No way," Mission replied quickly to the suggestion that she knew was going to come.

Aminta rolled her eyes at the teenager. "Let's check it out."

Canderous grinned. "I'm game."

"No way!" Mission exclaimed again, slightly louder this time. "If those things were protecting that, the cave'll be crawling with them! And I hate bugs!" As if to prove her point, the girl shivered.

"City girl," Aminta muttered under her breath, and Mission scowled at her. "First of all, they're not bugs; they're laigreks. Believe it or not, there is a difference. Secondly, if the cave is filled with _laigreks_, you'll be able to have a live target practice session."

"I'd rather hunt the sewer rats. You know what? That fracking rancor sounds better!" Mission cried out, crossing her arms over her chest and glaring at Aminta.

"Watch your language," Aminta replied absently, and then smacked her forehead with her hand. "I have been around Jedi too much," she groaned. Canderous stifled a chuckle, and Aminta whirled to face him. "And don't you say a word," she warned him, and Canderous held his hands up in the air. "Come on," she growled, and marched off to the entrance to the cave. Canderous followed, as did Mission after a moment's hesitation.

"Hey, Ami? Why do you want to check out a nasty old cave anyway?" Mission asked when she caught up to the older woman.

"Because its there," Aminta replied dryly.

Mission rolled her eyes, and turned her attention to the fields. "This sure is a whole lot different than Taris," she observed, the slightest hint of sorrow tinting her voice.

Aminta's foul mood quickly shifted, and she laid a hand on Mission's shoulder. "Oh, Mish…"

Mission gave Aminta a watery smile. "Nah, it's okay. There wasn't much left on Taris for me anyway. Not since my brother left me there."

Aminta's eyes went wide, and Canderous roughly tugged the women's shoulders to get them moving towards the cave. Aminta scowled at him, and then turned back to Mission. "I didn't know you had a brother."

Mission nodded. "Yeah, his name's Griff. He was a good guy, taught me everything I needed to know, like how to pick a lock, and how to lift some credits off of someone…" Canderous snorted with amusement, and Aminta glared at him.

"Important skills to have," she noted with a wry smile.

"Yeah, he did all right by me," Mission agreed with a grin. "But then came along that space tramp Lena! She poisoned him into leaving there on Taris. I woke up one morning when I was really little, and all of my stuff was gone. Lena must have taken it with her, the schutta!" she spat, and Canderous whistled.

"Sounds to me that your brother was an ass. Letting a woman control his decisions," he made a disgusted noise in the back of his throat, and Aminta gave him a pointed look just as Mission stomped her foot.

"She was a witch! I conniving, dirty, nasty, space tramp witch! She made my brother leave, I swear it. It wasn't his fault!" Mission shouted at the hulking man, and Canderous grinned at her.

"What a nice temper tantrum you're having."

"Aw, shavit!" the girl exclaimed, throwing her hands up in the air and stomping off.

Aminta sighed and glanced over to a chuckling Canderous. "Candy, we have really got to teach you some people skills."

"I've got people skills, squirt. Girlie there needs to learn some anger management."

Aminta snorted. "Do you like to come up with nicknames for everyone?" She asked with a raised brow. "Squirt, Princess, Republic, Furball, and now Girlie," Aminta ticked the names off on her fingers. "I think that you have some serious issues that need to be worked on."

Canderous glowered at her. "And you have yet to beat me in our sparring sessions," Canderous retorted. "You have some serious combat issues that we need you to be worked on."

Aminta rolled her eyes. "You are impossible," she muttered, quickly catching up to Mission. "Sorry about him. He's a jerk," she attempted to apologize, but Mission brushed her off.

"Nah, he's right. I do get worked up too easily. But if you tell him that, I swear I'll tell the masters about you and Carth," the girl threatened.

Aminta laughed. "They can't do anything about it. Besides, that was a one time only deal. I'd bet every member of the council has slipped up at least once."

Mission grinned. "Don't tell Bastila that. She'd shish kabob you."

Aminta shook her head with a smile, and then quickly unclipped her lightsaber from her belt. "We've got company," she observed, noting the laigreks that threatened to overwhelm them with their multitude. "Get back, Mission. Start picking them off from that hill over there," Aminta inclined her head to the location without moving her eyes from the beasts.

Mission nodded mutely, and scrambled to do as Aminta requested. Canderous shot down one of the insect like creatures, and they attacked as one. Aminta swirled her blade about in a wide arc, instantly wounding those who had gotten to close to her. These moved sluggishly, and Mission and Canderous picked them off easily.

The amount of the creatures killed hardly made a dent in the amount of laigreks that surrounded Aminta. Pushing aside all thought, she fell in step to the most lightsaber form that Zhar had taught her, adding several modified steps that she had learned from her sparring practice with Canderous. The creatures fell quickly beneath her skill, but their numbers were overwhelming. Just when Aminta had found time to catch her breath, and new wave of laigreks would come pouring from the cave.

"Canderous, get down here with your melee," she barked as she severed the claw of the creature nearest to her when it attempted to strike her.

Canderous strapped his gun to his back, and charged down the slope with his vibroblade raised. Mission picked off several more of the bugs that got too close to Aminta, but her work didn't make much difference. There were only so many creatures that she could kill at one time. However, with both Canderous and Aminta working together, the laigreks' numbers began to dwindle, until finally the flow came to an abrupt halt.

Sucking in a deep breath, Aminta deactivated her lightsaber and slumped to the ground, yanking a stim out of her bag and shoving the needle up her thigh. With that one used, she reached for another, and injected herself with that one as well. When she reached for a third, Canderous grabbed her hand, shoved her a medpac instead. "No more stims. Those things are addictive," he warned, and Aminta nodded grudgingly, injecting herself with the kolto.

Mission scrambled down the hill, and came to a halt in front of the two adults. "Man, Ami. Are you okay?" Aminta nodded and stood, the effects of the battle washed away from the stims. "Geez, are you sure you still want to go in there?" Mission asked, pointing to the cave.

Aminta grinned. "I think we've killed nearly all of the adults. The younger ones and those in their larval stage shouldn't be that hard to deal with," she said, headed towards the mouth of the cave. "Don't be such a worry wart."

Canderous grinned and followed Aminta. _She is a true warrior, whether or not she admits it to herself._ Mission sighed with resignation, and caught up to the pair.

The cave was shrouded in inky blackness, and Aminta had to activate her lightsaber so that they could see their way through. What Aminta had said had been correct; there were very few adults left, and most of the laigreks in their larval stage shied away from the light rather than attacking the intruders.

"I don't like this place. It's creepy," Mission said with a shiver. Canderous snorted, and Aminta rolled her eyes.

"A little bit of darkness never hurt anybody."

The halls of the cave became narrower so that Canderous' shoulders brushed against either side, and after several more minutes of walking, Aminta noticed a light coming from the end of one. "What the…" she murmured under her breath, increasing her pace. the narrow hall opened into a large cavern, lit by glowing crystals.

"Wow. This looks like it came from a holovideo," Mission breathed, and Aminta smiled at the girl before heading in to investigate. However, the natural light had attracted more than just the trio. The room was filled with more laigreks, this time those in their adult stage. Aminta heaved out a sigh, and began her assault.

They fell quickly, far faster than their relatives outside of the cave, and Aminta turned her attention to the crystals. She could feel the force humming through the place; so strong that she felt a shiver go down the length of her spine. "They're lightsaber crystals," she said aloud.

Smiling, she harvested several, gently placing them in her bag. "These'll be useful," she murmured with a grin, and then she turned back to her companions. "Ready to go?" Without waiting for an answer, she bounded off to the exit.

Canderous and Mission looked at each other before following the woman. "I can't believe she made us go through all this trouble to do some damn shopping," Canderous growled.

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Sorry it took so long! I've had major writer's block. I've probably averaged about a paragraph a day in an attempt to keep interest, and this is still slightly too short for my taste. Don't worry though, I won't be dropping this any time soon.


	18. Chapter 18

**Disclaimer:** Fiddle Dee dee and a bottle of rum.

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"These fields go on forever don't they," Mission noted several hours later as she surveyed the terrain. "They aren't very colorful," she observed, and Canderous snorted. The fields were indeed rather colorless; it was a field of brown upon brown, broken only by the blue of the sky. Neither color showed any signs of stopping.

Aminta ignored the comment. "We're getting closer," she informed the pair trailing behind her, who merely looked at each other and shrugged. Aminta closed her eyes briefly, and felt the area around her. A dark aura was coming from the west, growing stronger with every step that she took. It wasn't really an unpleasant feeling. Merely…different. "That way," she said over her shoulder as she pointed in the right direction.

"Jedi," Canderous muttered under his breath, the word coming out akin to a curse.

Aminta turned at this and flashed Canderous a smile of agreement before continuing onward. Canderous grunted, and Mission sighed. "I don't see anything," the girl complained, and Aminta grit her teeth.

"Spend twelve hours a day surrounded by Jedi that insist on probing your mind, and you'll feel it," she retorted, and the teenager grimaced.

"I think I'll pass. I always did hate school," she said with a shiver, and Aminta sighed before dipping back into the force again. Her eyes flew open, and the corner of her lip turned upwards into a smirk as she grabbed her lightsaber from its holster.

"Kath hounds are coming right at us," she informed her companions, who promptly pulled out their weapons.

"How do you even…" Canderous began, but trailed off when he heard a howl. "Never mind," he mumbled under his breath as he lifted his massive gun to his shoulder. Before he had a chance to blink, Aminta was in the middle of a pack of hounds a good forty feet away. _Damn, she's fast!_ Canderous thought, and quickly took aim.

Mission sighed. "Don't bother. She's a Jedi, remember?" the girl reminded him as she set about picking off the beasts that came too close to her friend.

Canderous grinned, and steadied himself as his gun backfired. "I'm going to tell her you said that," he responded gruffly, his voice thick with humor.

Mission blanched. "Don't you dare!" Canderous merely grinned wider, although his eyes stayed on the battlefield. Mission sighed sharply. "Gods, you're an annoying old man," she muttered.

"And you are an irritating, scrawny twi'lek," the Mandalorian countered.

Aminta looked up from the battle to turn her head towards her friends. "Play nice, children!" she scolded them before quickly returning her attention to the Kath, and the offending pair glanced at each other in surprise.

"How does she do that?" Mission wondered, and Canderous smirked.

"Don't bother, she's a Jedi, remember?" he replied, subtly mocking her.

"You must be carrying that gun to compensate for something," Mission muttered darkly, and Canderous' eyebrows rose.

"All my guns are big," he replied with a grin, and Mission rolled her eyes.

"Bad mental image, I'm getting here!" she exclaimed, and Canderous chuckled gruffly. "I still think that you're compensating for something," she muttered under her breath.

Aminta's hand appeared out of nowhere to still Canderous' fist. "I thought I told you two to behave! And here I took you guys because I thought that you'd be most adult about the whole situation."

Canderous grinned. "What, are you afraid Republic would jump you the second you two were out of the kids sight?" he asked, jerking his thumb in Mission's direction.

Aminta closed her eyes and counted to ten. "No," she ground out before turning on her heel and heading away from him as quickly as she could.

"I think I hit a nerve," Canderous whispered conspiratively to Mission, who giggled. Aminta sighed sharply at the exchange, but continued forward without comment. They walked in silence for a time, Aminta's hands occasionally clenching and unclenching at her waist. The grasslands continued onward, the occasional tree breaking up the continuous horizontal lay of the land.

Aminta stopped suddenly, and turned to toss a mirthless smile at her companions. "It's just ahead," she informed them, and licked her lips. "Stay here."

"Hold up! Why do we have to stay behind?" Mission demanded, hurrying so that she stood in front of the older woman. Aminta tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear, and met Canderous' eyes as she spoke so as to silence his protests as well.

"I don't want you getting hurt," she said simply. "I don't need to add the deaths of two friends to my conscience. Now, if you'll excuse me," with that, she turned on her heel and abruptly stalked off.

Canderous and Mission shared a long, knowing look before following the woman at a distance.

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Aminta dodged yet another attack from the Cathar that had been meditating in the grove. Although Aminta was clearly the better fighter, the other woman was giving her a run for her credits. Whereas Aminta had strength and battle prowess, the Cathar had agility and inhuman flexibility. It was getting difficult for the older woman to keep up.

A blaster bolt shot out of nowhere, and Aminta cursed under her breath. "They were supposed to stay back," she muttered through gritted teeth, and the Cathar threw the pair at the top of the hill into a stasis before another shot could be fired.

Aminta growled out something unintelligible under her breath, and doubled the force of her blows. What would the Jedi care if she killed the younger woman? They had said to remove the taint from the sacred grove, hadn't they? "Don't you ever touch one of my friends!" Aminta shouted, punctuating each word with a swing of her lightsaber.

The Cathar faltered beneath Aminta's blows, and when the younger woman stopped to catch her breath, Aminta knocked the lightsaber from her hands. The Cathar dropped to her knees, and stared up at Aminta, whose lightsaber was poised just above the woman's head. "The dark side has failed me," she murmured, and met Aminta's eyes. "Kill me, I beg of you!"

Aminta lowered her blade, but something in the Cathar's eyes made her stop. They were hopeless and filled with pain. Aminta gritted her teeth and tightened her grip on her saber. _One swing. Just one, and it will all be over._ Nothing. _Come on Jae! Get a grip. It's easy… One, two, three, and…_ She couldn't do it. Aminta sighed sharply, and clipped her saber back to her belt. "Get up," she muttered, her voice dark.

The Cathar stared up at her with narrowed eyes. "Why won't you kill me?" she demanded, and Aminta rolled her eyes.

"You are seriously suicidal. Gods, I need to get you a shrink." The Cathar's eyes widened considerable, and Aminta sighed. "Get up. You're coming back to the council with me," she instructed the Cathar, whose eyes narrowed into slits of anger.

"So that's why you came! You are the council's pawn!" she hissed, and Aminta laughed mirthlessly.

"Hardly," she countered dryly, and the Cathar's face melted into an expression of confusion. "In order for me to get off this gods forsaken planet, I had to accomplish a test; to remove the taint from the grove. Since I couldn't kill you, I'm taking you away from the grove. Got it?" she attempted to explain, and groaned softly when the Cathar winced. "That came out all wrong, didn't it?"

The Cathar stared up at her and swallowed hard. "So the council will bring about my death," she murmured, and Aminta let out a groan of frustration.

"You got a name?" she asked, attempting to draw the Cathar out of her suicidal thoughts.

"Excuse me?"

Aminta rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest. "Your name?" she repeated impatiently. "Look, I want to get back to the enclave before nightfall, so…"

"Juhani," the Cathar replied, somewhat dazed.

"Look, Juhani. Both of us know that Jedi don't kill their prisoners. Even if you did go all Revan on them, they aren't going to kill you. Now, come on. Get up off your ass and get moving."

Juhani's eyes widened considerably at Aminta's language, and the woman smirked at her. "What? The masters prohibit cussing around here too?"

Juhani swallowed and shakily made her way to her feet. "I will return with you to the enclave," she said finally, and Aminta refrained from letting a particularly nasty comment slide off her lips.

_As if you had a choice,_ she thought. But aloud, she merely said, "Well, isn't that just dandy. Come on. And get my friends out of that," she instructed, pointing at the frozen pair. Juhani nodded, and Mission holstered her blasters.

"About time. Geesh, Ami. Do you always have to talk so much?" the teenager demanded. Canderous swung his gun onto his back and leered at Juhani.

"She isn't much to look at, is she? And she gave up in a fight… dishonorable."

"Can it, Candy," Aminta replied over her shoulder as she headed back towards the enclave, and Canderous glared at her. "You too, Mission. I don't want a word out of anybody until we reach the Hawk. Understand?"

"What makes you think…"

"Understand?" Aminta shouted, and Canderous cut himself off. Mission bit her lip, and hurried to Aminta's side. Aminta glanced at the girl out of the corner of her eye, and Mission wisely opted to stay silent. Smart kid./i

The four walked in silence, Aminta in the front, Mission and Canderous close behind her, and Juhani trailing behind. The temperature grew cooler as the sun began to set, and Aminta frowned. _I had hoped to be home before darkness,_ she thought absently, and quickly shoved the wave of disappointment away from her.

Mission shivered, and the girl's teeth began to shatter as the temperature steadily decreased. Aminta sighed, and wrapped an arm around the girl's shoulder. "We'll only be a couple more hours," Aminta attempted to comfort the girl, who scowled.

"We've been walking all day! I'm tired, and hungry, and thirsty…" she complained miserably, and Aminta closed her eyes in an attempt to ward off irritation. She had been walking just as long, after all. And, she had fought a psychopath Cathar with a penchant for suicide… In short, Aminta was as tired as the next person.

"It's too dangerous to make camp. Remember all the Kinrath and Kath hounds?" she reminded, the girl, and Mission shivered again, although this time not from the cold. The girl didn't complain again, and the company was once again shrouded in silence.

A long while afterwards, the ring of Aminta's comm link broke the stillness. Irritated, Aminta flicked it on and brought it to her lips. "Yes?" she barked, and a chuckle came from the other end.

"Hard day, Beautiful?" Carth teased, and Canderous snorted. Juhani raised a brow, and Mission glanced back at the Cathar with an impish grin.

"What do you want?" Aminta muttered, and Carth chuckled again.

"You've been gone for fourteen hours. Just making sure that you didn't need any help out there."

"We're just peachy," Aminta snapped, and silence prevailed again. Feeling guilty for taking out her frustration on him, Aminta rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly. "Look, Carth, I'm sorry… I'm just…stressed," she apologized softly, glaring at Canderous when he leered at her.

"Want me to make you some Caffa?" Carth offered, and Canderous laughed out loud.

"So, Republic's a home maker, huh? Always did know that something was off with him," he sneered, and Mission slapped the man's remarkably large bicep with a scowl.

"Not the time, Canderous," Aminta snapped, and Canderous merely grinned at her.

"Okay… How's Mission doing?" Carth asked attempting to draw Aminta to her soft spot. Mission took the initiative to grab the comm link from Aminta's hands and dump her frustrations into Carth's ear. Aminta rolled her eyes and snatched the comm back from the girl.

"You lonely?" she asked, glaring at Mission who gave her an impish grin.

"That an invitation?" Carth replied, the humor evident in his voice.

"No," Aminta replied flatly, and Carth chuckled.

"Seems to me that…"

Aminta quickly cut him off before he could say anything else. "We have an audience here, remember?" she hissed into the link, and Carth laughed.

"I know what you meant. I'm actually enjoying the silence. There aren't any Mandalorian curses or psychotic Rodian music blaring in my ears. Pretty nice."

"Enjoy your last few minutes of it. The landing pad's in sight," Aminta warned him dryly, and a corner of her mouth lifted into a smile when Carth cursed under his breath. "Glad to know that you're happy to see me, flyboy."

Carth sighed. "I'm jumping in the refresher before you take all the hot water," he said, and promptly hung up.

"Don't you dare!" she shouted into her comm unit, which was now disconnected from the pilot's. "Insufferable man! He is in so much trouble," she muttered, and Canderous laughed gruffly. Aminta turned to her companions. "Drop Juhani off at the enclave on your way back. I've got a score to settle." With that, she took off, her body a blur as the force aided her speed.

"How much you bet that Republic gets laid?" Canderous asked Mission, whose cheeks promptly flushed a deep purple.

/center—————————————————/center

"Onasi, get out of there this instant!" Aminta shouted as she pounded on the closed door.

"Wait your turn," was the response from within.

Seething, Aminta yanked a security spike from her pocket and shoved it into the door mechanism. She grinned as the door clicked, and strode inside with a smirk. Carth paled when he saw, her, and then flushed a deep crimson color. "What are you doing in here?" he sputtered, and Aminta rolled her eyes.

"You wouldn't get out," she replied as though it were the most obvious thing in the world. "So…" She hurried over to the toilet, and promptly flushed it. Carth howled in outrage and pain when the water of the shower went scathing hot.

Aminta laughed at his discomfort. "Payback," she said simply, and she ran out of the room before he could stop her.

"You'll get yours, Jae!" The pilot called after her, and Aminta smirked.

"Yeah flyboy, give it your best shot," she murmured under her breath with a slight smile as she headed into the common room. Aminta made herself comfortable on the couch, and thumbed through Mission's ever growing collection of holovoids. _Death and Torture… Now why would a teenaged girl pick up that kind of movie?_ Aminta shook her head, and moved onto the next film on the stack. "Of Wookies and Gizkas…sounds like a comedy," Aminta murmured to herself, and placed the holo into the holo projector.

The projection came to life, and Aminta spent the next few minutes watching the utter stupidity of a staring contest between the two species. After a long period time, the scene switched to the Wookie and the Gizka running around in circles. Aminta's eyes widened and she shook her head. "No wonder I've never heard of this before."

"Having a good time?" Carth asked Aminta darkly as he entered the room, and she looked over her shoulder at him. His hair was sticking up in all directions from toweling it dry, and he was wearing a pair of pajamas. Aminta bit her tongue in an attempt not to laugh.

"Definitely," she replied dryly before turning her attention back to the screen. The two characters were now attempting to have a staring contest as they ran around in circles. Aminta cocked her head. "Well that's just plain weird."

Carth shook his head and stood in front of the projection, blocking Aminta's view. "You know, it isn't very nice to interrupt someone's shower. And it's even worse when you dump them in steaming hot water."

Aminta looked him over slowly. "You'll get over it," she replied with a smirk. "Now, move it. I'd like to see those idiots make a mockery of their species."

Carth cocked a brow. "Want me to move? Fine, I'll move," he retorted, and then he lunged at her. Caught by surprise, Aminta tumbled to the floor and Carth landed heavily on top of her. Aminta struggled to breathe, and squirmed under his weight.

"Get off of me you moron!" she shouted at him, but Carth merely grinned. He grabbed both of her wrists with one hand, and shoved them over her head. Aminta thrashed, but it did little good. "Did you hear me? I said to get off!"

Carth chuckled. "I heard you." With his free hand, he pushed her shirt up to her rib cage, and Aminta glowered at him. Carth's grin widened, and he attacked the exposed shin with his fingers relentlessly. Aminta tried to curl into a ball to get out of his reach, but he was persistent. The only alternative was to laugh until tears rolled down her cheeks.

"Please! Please stop!" Aminta begged between bouts of laughter.

"Payback," Carth replied smugly, doubling his effort.

Breathless from lack of air, and her head pounding from all of her giggling, Aminta stopped trying to squirm out of his reach. "I surrender!" she exclaimed, and Carth grinned.

"What have we here?" Canderous boomed as he entered the common room. Mission was conveniently nowhere to be seen. "Hey, blue! You owe me fifty credits!" He called down the hallway, and then turned his attention back to the pair collapsed in a heap on the floor.

Still laughing, Aminta pushed Carth off of her. "You just wait. We'll get even," she threatened, and Carth smiled.

"We are even. You got me, I got you. Done."

"No way. I have to win," Aminta countered, and Carth shook his head.

"You do realize that this means war?" he replied with a grin, and Aminta laughed.

"Yep." She pushed herself to her feet, and offered a hand up to Carth. Carth took her hand, but pulled her back down to the floor.

"Now I'm winning," he informed her with a smirk as he jumped to his feet.

"You are so dead!" Aminta called out to his retreating form as she pushed herself to her feet. "You know, I think I'm beginning to like your opinion of our resident flyboy more and more," she told Canderous, who chuckled.

"So, what did you do to start this mess?" the hulking man asked her with a smirk as he took a seat on the couch. "And what the hell is on the holovision?"

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I'm sorry it took me so long to update. Between school and Writer's Block, not much can get accomplished. Anyway… I know that it's really short, but I thought that I owed you guys something.

Thanks for reading, and please be kind enough to review.


	19. Chapter 19

**Disclaimer:** As the saying goes, the clock ticks.

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"Aminta," Bastila called, shaking the shoulders of the sleeping woman. Aminta growled out a protest and turned to her other side, covering her head with her pillow. Bastila sighed in exasperation. "Wake up this instant! The council wishes to speak with you!" When that drew no response, Bastila grabbed Aminta's blankets and tossed them to the floor.

"Don't care," Aminta moaned, reaching blindly for the covers. Finding none, and coming to the abrupt realization that she was freezing, Aminta pushed herself into a sitting position and glared at Bastila resentfully. "Fine. I'm up. What do you want?"

"Must I repeat myself? I informed you of the council's wish to speak with you," Bastila replied, a trace of exasperation in her voice.

Aminta stared at Bastila, then at her chrono, and then at Bastila again. "Do they have any idea how early it is?" she demanded angrily, swinging her legs to the side of her bed. Mission mumbled something in her sleep from the cot accross from her, and Aminta quieted herself.

"Of course. It is just after dawn," Bastila replied smoothly, and Aminta could have sworn that she detected smugness in the younger woman's tone.

"What, now Jedi don't sleep?" Aminta grumbled rubbing her eyes as they adjusted to the light. "The occupation gets worse with every day that passes," she muttered, grabbing her robes and hastily donning them.

"Why don't you tell the council that?" Bastila replied, and Aminta glared at her.

"Sarcasm doesn't become you, dear," she retorted, and Bastila raised a brow.

"Jedi aren't sarcastic," she defended herself evenly, and Aminta's glare darkened. "Come, we must hurry," Bastila prodded the older woman, and Aminta yanked on her boots.

"I'm going as fast as I can. Will you shut up already?" she exclaimed angrily, and Bastila had to work hard to keep the serene expression pasted on her face.

"You must lower your voice. Mission is sleeping."

Aminta made a noise in the back of her throat, and she stormed to the door. "One of these days, I'll wake you up when you least expect it," Aminta threatened, and Bastila arched a delicate brow.

"Of course. Now, may we continue to the council chambers?" she replied smoothly, and Aminta had to bite her lip to keep from screaming at the Padawan.

"Fine," Aminta ground out through clenched teeth, her hands clenching and unclenching at her sides as she made her way through the hawk.

Carth met her at the exit. "Rough morning?"

"You coming?" Aminta snapped, and Bastila stepped in.

"Please excuse us Carth. This is official Jedi business. The council would not take it kindly if you were found roaming the halls before visiting hours began." Carth's face darkened, and Aminta set her jaw. Bastila quickly pushed the woman down the exit ramp before either could protest, and hastened to the enclave.

"You would take care to realize that for the time being you are a Jedi. Your close relations to the crew are admirable, but you must not let your friendships cloud your judgment," Bastila advised, and Aminta scowled at the woman in the dim light.

"I am not about to become an unfeeling robot."

"No one is telling you to become a robot!"

"Gods! Will you just listen to your code? There is no emotion… That says it all, doesn't it? The Jedi don't want you to feel anything. They want to control you. Make you their pawn! That's why there can't be 'attachments' as the order so fondly calls them. Because they lead to emotion which leads to passion which…"

"Hold your tongue!" Bastila interrupted angrily, more than a little disturbed at Aminta's statements. Revan had said a similar thing long ago, when they had both been children. And what was even worse was that the statement made as much sense to Bastila now as it did then.

Aminta stopped her ramblings and snapped her mouth shut. After a few minutes of tense silence, the pair arrived at the council chambers. Wordlessly, the two women walked in, and Zhar beamed at Aminta. "I must congratulate you on returning Juhani to the path of the light. Thanks to you, her training may continue."

Aminta ignored Bastila's presence entirely and focused her entire attention on Zhar. "She was suicidal out there. What happened to her that made her fall?"

Zhar's smile froze. "I am afraid that Juhani had misplaced… feelings for her master, Quatra. When Quatra baited her on her emotions, Juhani attacked Quatra." He said slowly, and Aminta glowered.

"Why did Quatra bait Juhani?" she asked evenly, although there was an undercurrent of danger to her tone. Zhar noticed, and his lekku curled tighter about his shoulders.

"Quatra was testing her pupil, to see if Juhani could resist the lure of the dark side."

Aminta arched a brow. "Are you saying that having feelings for someone leads to the dark side?" She was baiting him, and Zhar knew it. Vrook interrupted before Zhar could respond.

"In most cases, yes," he replied stiffly, and Aminta's eyes widened.

Aminta reached into her bond to touch Bastila's mind. _See? Now do you believe me?"_

_You are jumping to conclusions,_ Bastila replied stiffly, and Aminta coughed.

Zhar glanced up at Aminta with a barely suppressed sigh. "Now that you have finished your trial with success, we must turn to other more pressing subjects. The vision that you and Bastila shared of Revan and Malak caused Master Dorak to remember ruins in the fields of Dantooine. We sent a Jedi out to investigate… but he hasn't returned." Zhar's voice dropped with regret. "Perhaps we were wrong in sending him at all."

Master Dorak, a brown skinned man with graying hair picked up where Vandar left off. "We believe that you and Bastila would be more suitable to investigate since it were your dreams that began everything. The force is obviously calling you there; we are certain that you will have better luck than Nemo did."

Aminta set her jaw. "You toy with our lives?"

Master Vrook's eyes widened. "Such arrogance! You must train her to restrain her impulses, or I am afraid that Darth Revan will return," Vrook scolded Zhar, who frowned.

"Enough. That is a matter to be discussed in private." Vandar replied quickly and then turned to Aminta. "Investigate these ruins, you must. The earlier you leave, the better it is."

"Is that why you woke me up at such an ungodly hour?" Aminta muttered, and despite himself, Zhar smiled.

"Yes. Hopefully, you will be back by nightfall. Now, you must go. May the force be with you."

Bastila bowed, but the pair's exit was cut short by the booming voice of a richly clad man. "My son has been missing for a week now, and still you do nothing! I demand that you take action!" he exclaimed, and Vandar sighed.

"Look into the issue of the missing Shen, we will. In due time," the small master attempted to pacify the noble, and the man's hands clenched at his sides.

"Matale, you must leave before you do something rash," Vrook advised the man, who glared daggers at the council and then pinned Aminta and Bastila a withering glance.

"Sandral kidnapped my son and if Shen dies… Mark my words. If you don't do something, I will!" he exclaimed vehemently before exiting the council chambers as swiftly as he had arrived.

"What was all that about?" Aminta asked Zhar once the doors had slammed closed behind Matale.

Zhar absently pulled on the edge of his sleeve, a trait that Aminta had learned meant that he was agitated. "The Matale and Sandral families have been in a feud for years now. The Matale heir, Shen, went missing a week ago, and things escalated to a boiling point."

Aminta started at the name Sandral, but thankfully, none of the Jedi seemed to notice. _So much for them being observant to a fault._

"Something needs to be done. Matale is just rash and stupid enough to bring this feud into an all out war if his son is not found," Vrook put in, and Zhar nodded in agreement.

"Then found Shen must be," Vandar decided after a moment's hesitation, and he turned to Aminta. "Your job, this is," he instructed her.

"My job?" Aminta demanded. "What happened to the ruins? I thought that was my job!"

Vrook sighed loudly. "Ever insolent, ever proud. You must learn to be humble, Padawan," he scolded her, and Aminta's spine straightened.

"In a Gammorean's eye," she muttered under her breath, and Zhar coughed to hide a chuckle.

"You must still investigate these ruins. However, the Sandral/Matale feud needs to be ended once and for all. It would be a disaster if their children grew to continue what they have started," Dorak told Aminta kindly, who let out a deep breath.

"Well, since you will send me to Coruscant for my execution if I don't," she spat, and every member of the council visibly cringed, "I guess I'll have to do that too."

"Very good to hear, this is," Vandar replied with a slight smile, purposely ignoring the anger in the woman's tone. "Leave now, you must. The force be with you."

"And also with you," Bastila replied softly, casting a sidelong glance at Aminta.

Bastila bowed to the Masters and swiftly made her exit. Aminta followed her companion out into the soft sunshine and frowned. "Of all the nerve…" she muttered under her breath, and Bastila sighed. Suddenly, Aminta's face shifted from annoyed to perplexed. "What did Vrook mean by saying that Darth Revan would return?"

Bastila froze, and then coughed. "It was only a metaphor, I assure you," she replied quickly, and Aminta's eyes narrowed in suspicion.

Instead of commenting on Bastila's manner, Aminta looked to the hawk. "I need to get my equipment. I'll be back here in a flash," she excused herself, and hurried up the exit ramp. Bastila sighed with relief when Aminta made her departure, and took a seat on a short wall as she awaited the woman's return.

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Several minutes later, Aminta emerged from the Hawk with Carth at her side, his blasters strapped against his hips in preparation for the fight that he believed would greet them. "Ah, Carth. Good of you to join us," Bastila greeted him, and he nodded briefly in acknowledgement.

"So, Bas… the schematics that I've downloaded show that the two exits from the courtyard enter Matale grounds. Is that correct?" Aminta turned to the Jedi, and Bastila nodded.

"They are only two accessible exits. The others go to fields that are teeming with Kath hounds, and are thus unsafe to travel through," Bastila clarified. "Although both paths are equally far apart from the household."

"Good. Let's take the right path; there's an armor merchant on the way that I've been meaning to talk to." Aminta tucked her datapad away and headed in that direction.

Bastila felt an undercurrent of anger through their bond, and she quickly grabbed Aminta's arm. "What do you mean by 'talk to him?'"

"That schutta of a Rodian stole something from me. I'm merely going to get it back from him." At Bastila's horrified look, Aminta smirked. "Don't worry. I won't disgrace the Jedi order and do something all dark side," she waggled her fingers in her air in a mocking way as she finished her statement.

"The dark side is not a laughing matter," Bastila scolded, and Aminta scowled.

"You do realize that we have had this conversation about a thousand times, don't you?"

Bastila smiled at the woman. "Repetition is the most vital contribution to learning."

Aminta rolled her eyes. "Tell that to a four year old and you'll never get them to shut up," she remarked dryly, and Bastila sighed. Apparently, Aminta was unteachable. Figures.

"Hey, Rodian!" Aminta exclaimed, breaking away from Bastila. The merchant's large black eyes bulged out of his head, and he wrung his hands nervously.

"Well, good afternoon, master Jedi!" he exclaimed, his voice gone unnaturally high. "Would you care to look through my inventory again?"

"Don't waste my time. I want the blaster back," she growled, staring him down. Bastila attempted to keep the order's dignity intact by remaining as serene as possible.

"What blaster? I don't know of a blaster!" he stammered, wringing his hands with such force Aminta was sure the bones would crack. Not that she minded.

"The hand held one. Small, fit in my bag? You swiped it when I was otherwise occupied, remember?" she retorted her hands drifting to her lightsaber in warning. The Rodian merchant blanched.

"Ah yes, I remember! Very small. Yes, yes. You dropped it several days ago. I merely picked it up for safekeeping!" He managed, digging through a bucket and finally pulling it out. "Not a dent in it! See, see how good I am?" He held it out to her with a smile, and Aminta snatched it out of his hands, carefully inspecting it.

"I trust you won't 'find' anything of mine again?"

"Of course not, Master Jedi! Of course not!"

"Good." With that, Aminta hurried down the path to the Matale grounds. Bastila caught up to the older woman quickly and stared her down.

"You threatened him!"

"I did not!" Aminta objected, and Bastila glared at her. "I wouldn't have killed the weasel," Aminta muttered, and Bastila sighed with frustration.

"You are missing the point entirely!"

"And you are being impossible!" Aminta retorted. Bastila's face scrunched up as though she were about to say something particularly nasty, but with considerable effort she was able to relax herself. Aminta heard the Jed code blaring through her head, and she pressed her hands to her temples. "Will you get out of there?"

Bastila's retreat was immediate, and she looked over at Aminta with a blush. "I am truly sorry. I am afraid I still have not learned how to control…" she looked over her shoulder and coughed. "…this," she finished, tapping her forehead with her index finger.

"Well then, that makes two of us," Aminta noted wryly, and then she too glanced back towards Carth. So Carth could not hear, she reached out to Bastila's mind and spoke via telepathy. _Give me a minute or two._

_Of course._ Bastila walked a few brisk paces ahead, and Aminta fell behind into step with Carth.

"So, Carth, you've been rather quiet today," Aminta noted, and Carth shrugged. "You usually have a lot more to say… although half of it I don't want to hear in the first place…" That got a smile out of him.

"I guess I have. I just don't like being out of the loop," he admitted, and Aminta smirked.

"Carth, you were born out of the loop."

Carth rolled his eyes. "Ha-ha, very cute."

Aminta grinned. "I thought so."

"Any cuter and you'd bee a Gammorean's sister."

"Better than being a Gammorean's mother," Aminta retorted, and Carth chuckled slightly.

"In all seriousness though, everything's all hush-hush between you and Bastila and the council. And I hate not knowing what's going on," Carth replied, turning their conversation back to what Aminta had so cleverly steered it from.

Bastila turned around to face the pair with a look of exasperation. "In all honesty, Carth, it is not your place to know. You are neither a Jedi nor of any significance to the council."

"Bastila! I asked you to give us a few minutes. And when I asked you that, I meant for you to ignore our conversation. You're a Jedi, you know how to tune out," Aminta snapped, and Bastila heaved out a sigh.

"Very well," she muttered, and once again returned to her place a few paces ahead of them.

Carth turned to Aminta with confusion. "But you didn't say…"

"It's just… something between me and Bastila," Aminta waved it off dismissively, realizing belatedly just how secretive she sounded.

"There you go again!" Carth exclaimed, and Aminta sighed.

"Why are you so dead set on knowing?" Aminta retorted, and Carth clenched his hands into fists.

"I am not going to set myself up to be betrayed again!"

"I am NOT going to betray you! I am NOT Saul!" Aminta shouted back. Anger and then hurt flitted over Carth's face before finally changing to a look of resignation.

"I…I didn't mean it that way. I know that you aren't going to betray me." Carth swallowed, and met her eyes. "I don't understand how some neophyte Padawan…"

"Hey! I'm damn good at what I do!" Aminta defended herself, and Carth ignored her.

"…can be taken into so much trust by the council. What exactly is going on in there?"

Aminta looked him dead in the eyes. "You really want to know?"

"Yes!"

"Look, Bastila and I have this…'bond'… as the council calls it. When I spoke to Bastila, she told me that such things are occasionally caused by trauma, and maybe it was Taris that caused it. No one really knows. Anyway, we've been sharing visions of Revan and Malak."

Carth raised a brow, but didn't comment.

Aminta took a deep breath, knowing how idiotic she sounded. If she were in Carth's shoes and he in hers, she'd have shipped him off to a phsyc ward then and there. "There's ruins here on Dantooine that Revan and Malak visited, and the council believes that they may have something to do with their fall to the dark side. I know it sounds crazy… but… that's what I know."

Carth was silent for a moment, and then turned to her. "Why would the council trust a brand new member of the order, a member that openly mocks them, to do something of such great importance? Isn't it idiotic of them?"

"Shavit, Carth! Here I try to be nice and explain things to you, and you throw it back in my face. I've told you everything that I know!"

"Have you? Have you really?"

Aminta stared hard at him for a long moment. "I don't need to take this from you. The Matale household is in sight, anyways. We might as well shut up and focus." With that, she left Carth's side and swiftly caught up to Bastila.

_It wasn't his place to know,_ Bastila scolded through their bond and Aminta let out a sharp sigh.

_Maybe not. But it was my decision to tell him._

_Why?_

_I think we've already established that the man has issues. I didn't want to add to his paranoia,_ Aminta replied ruefully. Bastila smiled in response, and the two women halted when a droid blocked their path.

"On who's authority have you approached the Matale household?" he inquired, his mechanical hand gripped tight about his blaster. Aminta didn't doubt the fact that his programming gave him ample ability to kill.

"I am a delegate for the Jedi council. I have been sent to speak with the leader of the Matale household," Aminta replied smoothly, and the droid nodded.

"He has informed me to expect you. Give me a moment while I contact him." The droid pressed one button of many on his arm. "Master Matale, a member of the Jedi has come to see you," he announced, and then abruptly turned to face the pair of Jedi again. "He will be out shortly."

Bastila inclined her head. "Our thanks."

In a relatively short time, a series of droids exited the wide double door entrance to the front of the structure, followed by the Master Matale himself." It is about time. I began to think that the council would never send anyone to investigate," he muttered stiffly, and Aminta smirked.

"Aren't you glad that they sent us then," she replied, and Matale harrumphed. "I'll need you to explain…"

"I already voiced me claim to the council. That Sandral dog is guilty, I tell you!"

Aminta sighed. "Simmer down, your highness. I just to hear everything from your point of view, alright?"

Matale glared at her, but began his monologue. "I moved my family here to escape the corruption of the city. Things were good for a while, but then that Sandral showed up and made my life miserable!"

"I'm sure that the Sandrals would say the same thing about you," Carth noted wryly, and Bastila promptly hushed him.

Matale ignored Carth's input and continued to speak. "He is a filthy thief! I found his droids sneaking around my estate… spies no doubt!

_Hey, Bas, he's as paranoid as flyboy._ Bastila choked back a laugh, and Matale raised a brow as his eyes darkened with anger. Aminta glanced over the noble shrewdly. "Do you have any proof that they were spying?"

Matale went still and then cleared his throat. "Well…no. But I know that Sandral, and I know that his droids were spies!"

"Whatever happened to those droids, Matale?" Bastila interjected, and the man lifted his chin a fraction with an air of superiority.

"I had my droids exterminate them, naturally." His face darkened. "Now what are you going to do? Sandral has my son, and I want him back!"

Aminta kept her face carefully neutral. "I am going to speak with the Sandrals and further evaluate the situation," she replied stiffly, and Matale clenched his hands into fists.

"What do you mean you're going to…" his body suddenly went slack, and he chuckled. "I am a man of the world, Jedi. I know that you need some…encouragement. A donation to the council's wisdom, perhaps? One thousand credits for the safe return of my son."

"The Jedi are not bribed!" Bastila exclaimed from beside Aminta, and Sandral's smile grew grim.

"Of course they aren't," he replied patronizingly. "Just know that I _will_ give you a thousand credits. Whether or not the money ever actually makes it to council is your decision. Now, I want you to get m son back this instant. We have nothing more to discuss until he is brought back." With that, he turned on his heel and headed back into his house, flanked by all his droids save one.

"Of all the nerve…" Bastila murmured under her breath, and Aminta grinned at her.

"Don't take it too personally, Bas. Come on. Let's go talk to the Sandrals."

They arrived at the second household not long afterward, and had managed to stay clear of most of the vicious Kath on their way. They were greeted in a similar manner at the Sandral estate… by a droid with a gun. "We're Jedi," Aminta said simply, and the droid nodded.

"Of course." He scuttled to the entrance, and placed the pass card into the door. "Master Sandral will join you soon." With that, the droid returned to his position guarding the front of the household.

"At least we were allowed inside this time," Aminta noted ruefully, and Bastila and Carth smiled.

"Maybe this guy has more respect for the Jedi than the other one did," Carth noted.

"I don't care if you were sent by the council! If you are on Matale's side, I want you out of my home immediately," Sandral exclaimed as he hurried into the room, followed closely by a rather large pack of droid bodyguards.

"So much for that idea," Aminta muttered under her breath, and Carth grinned. "We are neutral in this case. Trust me. Now if you please, I would like to hear your side of the story."

Sandral sighed sharply, and glared at her. "I didn't take his son. Matale's gone crazy in his old age, and that's al I have to say. Now, there is the exit. I trust you can find your own way out." With that, Sandral turned on his heel and exited the reception room into the main chambers of the Sandral estate, the door clicking shut behind him.

"That went well," Carth murmured, and Bastila spared him a smile.

"We should inform the council of Sandral's…incorporation," Bastila noted, heading for the exit.

The doors leading to the main chambers clicked open again, and a girl in her late teens slipped into the room. "Please, don't leave yet!" she hissed, closing the door shut behind her and looking about warily.

Aminta sucked in a breath at the sight of the girl. She was beautiful, and her face was so familiar. Brown eyes were framed behind thick, dark lashes, and were set in a delicate face the color of warm chocolate. _Leoma Sandral… you were a member of this family after all._ Aminta put all thoughts of the friend who had died on Telos out of her mind and concentrated on the girl before her.

"I am Rahasia. I am Sandral's daughter," she introduced herself quietly, and drew close to Aminta. "You must not think ill of my father!"

Carth frowned. "Why would we?"

Rahasia licked her lips and rubbed her arms. "He isn't a bad man, I promise you! It's just… my brother… his heir went missing a few weeks ago. He got angry; he wasn't thinking straight!"

"What did your father do?" Aminta asked after a moment, and Rahasia absently chewed on a fingernail.

"He took Shen."

"He what?" Aminta demanded.

Rahasia's face scrunched up. "He's been kind to Shen thus far, but now that the Jedi have intervened… I fear for what he'll do to Shen! I don't want to see him get hurt!"

Aminta frowned. "Your father or Shen?"

Rahasia bit her lip. "Both. Look, here's a passkey to a back door. Use it to get in, and rescue Shen. The passkey to the prison is in a footlocker in one of the security rooms. Get him out of here. Bring him back to his father; to the enclave, anywhere but here! Just hurry," the girl thrust the passkey into Aminta's hands.

Aminta stared hard at the girl. "Your families are fighting. Why do you care whether Shen lives or dies?"

Rahasia coughed, and awkwardly rubbed her hands together. "I met him at the market one day. He didn't care that I was a Sandral; he spoke to me as though are were worth something. We…we met many times after that, and…and we fell in love. It would kill me if something happened to him, but my father cannot know! He'll kill Shen then! Please, please get him out of here!"

"We should tell the council about this," Bastila interrupted, and Rahasia blanched.

"No! Shen is living on borrowed time as it is. You need get him out right now!"" she pleaded, wringing her hands.

Aminta was silent for a moment, and then she nodded slowly. "You have my word."

Rahasia let out a sob of relief. "Thank you! Thank you so much! I have to get back inside. If father finds out…" the girl bit her lip and used her passkey to open the door. "Hurry," she urged in a whisper, and then she slipped through the doorway back inside the estate.

Bastila stared at Aminta with disapproval. "We need to see the council. You shouldn't have given your word," she reprimanded, and Aminta sighed.

"Rahasia was right. We didn't have time. Besides, I'm rather partial towards the girl; I knew a relative of hers once… they look a lot alike." Aminta exited the receiving room into the Dantooine sunshine. "Come on; we don't have very long." With that, she sprinted to the back of the house, Carth and Bastila catching up quickly.

Aminta slipped her passcode into the back door, and smiled slightly as it opened. "Here we come, Shen," she murmured under her breath, and entered the main chambers of the estate. The halls were strangely silent, and Aminta began to randomly slice the locks of the doors.

The first room she entered was a security room with three droids. They were taken care of quickly, and Aminta scrapped their smoking corpses. "Ami," Carth called, and Aminta whirled to face him.

"Footlocker," he pointed, and Aminta nodded. She picked the lock, and smiled in satisfaction as she lifted a passcode out.

"Jackpot," she murmured, and glanced around the room, pausing her scrutiny when she saw the computer terminal. "We should probably download the schematics… it would save us a lot of time and energy." Then, with the ease of a seasoned smuggler, she sliced into the terminal and inserted her datapad. When she pulled it out, a map was on the screen. "Shen's down the hall to the left," she instructed, and the pair in the room with her nodded briskly before heading in that direction.

Upon reaching the sealed door, Aminta inserted the passkey that she had found, and grinned in triumph when the doors whooshed open. A young man sat on the floor, and jumped to his feet when he saw the trio standing at the threshold. "Who are you?"

"We're with Rahasia; she wants to be sure you get out of here safely," Aminta replied brusquely, cutting the restraints on his wrists with her lightsaber.

Shen rubbed the raw flesh, and nodded in thanks. "I'm not leaving without her. When her father finds out what she did… Tell her I'm not leaving. Her room is the second door on the right down the next hallway," he instructed, and Aminta's brows raised.

"Sure." She sighed and turned to her companions. "You want to stay here or come with?"

"We shall accompany you," Bastila replied, and the trio followed Shen's instructions.

Aminta didn't bother wasting time, and simply sliced the lock to Rahasia's chambers. She smiled slightly when she saw the girl had been pacing, but launched into the story. She had a limited amount of time, and playing messenger girl wasn't her favorite thing to do. "He's not coming. He won't leave without you."

Rahasia sighed sharply, and placed a hand against her forehead. "He always was stubborn. But it's too dangerous for us to wander the halls together!" She paused and thought for a minute. "I'll be waiting outside. But I can't stay there long, so hurry!" With that, the girl grabbed a bag and began dumping the contents of her jewelry box into it.

Aminta hurried out the door and took a turn down the next hallway so she was back in the room with Shen again. "She's waiting outside in the courtyard. Let's go." She nodded, and the four hurried down the halls, out the back exit, and up the slope to the courtyard. Shen saw Rahasia, and he ran to her, scooping her up in his arms and clutching her tightly. Rahasia let out a half sob and wrapped her arms tightly around his neck.

Aminta's lips turned up slightly at the sight of the young lovers, and sighed softly. That had been her once… wrapped in the arms of the man she loved. How life changed things. Carth noticed and reached for her hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. Aminta smiled at him and squeezed his hand back, returning the small measure of comfort.

Bastila noticed, and bit her lip. Instead of commenting, she wrapped her arms around herself and wondered what it was like to be loved by a man. Just as quickly, she scolded herself for being so foolish. Those were thoughts that led to the dark side. Why, look at what happened to Revan. She spared Aminta a glance and then sighed softly. No. Love wasn't meant for a Jedi.

Aminta sensed a presence approaching and glanced around warily. "Shen! Your father's coming!" she called out, and Shen abruptly released Rahasia from his embrace. Matale was indeed coming up the hill, flanked by his droids. Just then, the doors to the Sandral household flew open and Sandral emerged with his own bodyguards.

"Shen!" Matale breathed, and rushed up the hill to his son. He looked past the boy to see his enemy. "Sandral!" he exclaimed angrily.

"Matale!" Sandral shouted, glaring at the other man. He then noticed his daughter standing beside the son of his sworn enemy, and his face went red with anger. "Rahasia!"

"Uh oh," Aminta murmured, and the corner's of Bastila's mouth turned up into a grim smile.

"Shen! Step away from her!" Matale instructed his son, who lifted his chin and shook his head.

"No father. My place is beside Rahasia now. I love her," he replied, taking the girl's hand in his own.

Matale went white, then red, then white again. "If you do not step away from that whore this instant, I will disown you!" he sputtered, and Sandral glared at the man.

"My daughter is no whore you overgrown lout!"

"She sure looks like one, you pig faced Gammorean!"

Oblivious to his father's argument, Shen looked down at Rahasia with tenderness. "I won't have anything to offer you. It would be a poor man that you'd make your life with," he murmured, tilting her chin. Rahasia's eyes glimmered with tears, and he tenderly rubbed his thumb over her cheek.

"I would proud to make my life with such a man," she replied softly, and Shen placed a kiss on her brow.

Sandral paled, emerging from his fight with Matale when he heard his daughter utter those fatal words. "Rahasia! If you don't get in the house this instant, I will never look upon you again!"

Rahasia's face scrunched with pain, and several tears trickled down her cheeks. "I will miss you, father," she replied, her voice choked with tears. Her father stumbled backwards, as though he had been struck.

Unable to remain silent any longer, Aminta jumped into the conflict. "Look at your children! They love each other; isn't that enough for you? Can't you make peace for their sakes?" Aminta demanded, and the two men glared at her.

"No daughter of mine could ever love the son of my enemy!" Sandral retorted vehemently.

"And no son of mine is free to be with his spawn!" Matale spat, and the children of both parties shuddered and held each other for comfort.

"My decision stands. Shen is no longer my child."

"And Rahasia is no longer my daughter."

Rahasia clung to Shen's waist, and he gently stroked her back. "If you won't have us, the Enclave will," Shen said finally, and met his father's angry gaze with a determined one of his own. "I hope one day you'll come to your senses." With that, the young man took Rahasia's hand in his own and gently pulled her in the direction of the Enclave courtyard.

Rahasia resisted, but only for a moment. "Goodbye, Daddy. I love you," she managed through her tears, and his father turned his back to her. With a strangled cry, Rahasia leaned close against Shen and followed him away from the home of her childhood.

"I hope you're proud of yourselves!" Aminta exclaimed angrily, turning to the two men standing before her.

Sandral and Matale ignored her, for the pair were already knee deep in insults. "This is all your fault, you hutt slime!" Sandral shouted.

"If your daughter hadn't been such a whore, my son wouldn't have fallen under her charms!" Matale retorted.

"She is not a whore!"

Aminta groaned. "Will you two just SHUT UP?" That got their attention.

Both men turned the full brunt of their fury on her. "The council will hear of the trouble that you caused, Jedi!" Matale threatened, turning on his heel and beginning the trek back to his estate.

"Indeed they shall," Sandral agreed, heading back into his home, his droids following close behind him.

Once they were gone, Aminta met her companions' eyes with a sigh. "You know, I think that's the only time in their lives that those two have ever agreed on anything."

Carth smiled. "You're probably right about that."

Bastila licked her lips and smoothed the wrinkles in her robes. "I wouldn't worry much if I were you. The council will be happy that the feud will end with these men. I'm sure they will congratulate you on re-uniting the children of the two families."

Aminta gave Bastila a sad smile. "Let's go back now. I feel like wallowing."

"Wallowing?" Bastila asked curiously, arching a brow.

Carth chuckled. "She'll gorge herself on a gallon of ice cream, most likely a kind with chocolate in it, and cry her eyes out watching an overly dramatic romance holofilm."

Bastila's mouth opened in a silent 'o.' _I am very glad indeed that I have enough sense not to be overcome with emotion. Why do women put themselves through all that anyway?_

The fact that Aminta was able to sense her thoughts disturbed her, but her response shocked Bastila._ Because we're women. That's what we do. Duh._

———————————————————-

Wasn't quite sure how to end this one… But I rather liked this chapter. I've begun re-playing the game, and amazingly, my writer's block has begun to disappear. It's a miracle!


	20. Chapter 20

Bastila slowed as they approached the ruins, a shiver running down her spine at the waves of power that rushed over her. "Can you feel it? The dark side is strong here," she murmured, and Aminta sighed.

"Bas, you're paranoid," she replied lightly as she approached the entrance. However, she couldn't deny that there was a…presence to the place. However, it didn't bother her as it seemed to disturb Bastila. Frowning, she turned to Carth. "Do you feel anything?"

Carth grinned. "Nope. But then again, on a scale of 1 to 10 in force sensitivity, I'm probably somewhere around a negative twelve," he replied with a shrug, and Aminta smiled, the somber mood somewhat lightened.

Bastila crossed her arms over her chest, refusing to acknowledge just how much it disturbed her to know that the newest addition to the order had no qualms about the dark side. She licked her lips nervously. "We should probably enter now. The sooner we accomplish our task, the sooner we may leave."

Aminta glanced back at the woman with a frown. "The place is affecting you that much?" At Bastila's silence, Aminta cleared her throat. "I can't imagine how you faced Darth Revan then, since everyone says that she was practically pulsing with the dark side."

Bastila blinked, and then met Aminta's eyes. "You have no idea," she replied, and this time Aminta did feel a shiver travel up the length of her body. "Let us enter," Bastila said quickly, and Aminta nodded slowly.

The temple was dark inside; the blackened crumbled rocks were covered in a thick layer of dust. Aminta's eyes watered and she coughed as she entered the room, earning a concerned glance from Carth. "Are you alright?"

Aminta took a deep breath and nodded. "Damn allergies. I haven't had my shots for them since before the Spire." She sniffled and coughed again before continuing on. The entrance chamber was long, however, the ceilings were low. The place reminded Bastila of one of the tombs that she had seen on the educational channel of the holovision.

Finally, the three companions approached a stone-carved door. When Bastila made no move to touch it, Aminta reached out and twisted it to the right. The lock clicked open, and the door slid slowly to the side. Out of the darkness, Aminta was able to make out the prone form of a Jedi lying on the ground.

"Nemo," Bastila breathed sadly, and started when she saw Aminta kneeling beside the body, rummaging through the pockets. "What do you think that you're doing?" Bastila demanded, and Aminta sighed as she placed the items in her bag.

"He has no use for them anymore," she excused herself, and Bastila's eyes bugged out of her head. Before a fatal confrontation could occur, a whirring sound came from deeper in the gloom. Frowning, Aminta rose and headed towards the clicking, only to find herself standing before an ancient droid. "What the…"

"Quassam si notum?" The droid spoke, and Aminta turned to Bastila.

"Did you catch that?" She asked with raised brows. Bastila's eyes widened as she shook her head. "Carth?" Aminta asked, and he glanced over at her.

"You're the one who speaks forty five languages."

"Forty six," Aminta corrected, earning a dry chuckle; the sound was out of place in the dreary darkness of the ruins. Seeing that the occupants of the room couldn't understand him, the droid continued cycling through languages, all of which the threesome had never heard before.

"He appears to be searching for the correct language. Apparently, Basic isn't in his database," Bastila noted, chewing on her lip. Aminta nodded, and then frowned.

"Basic is as old as the Republic. Just how old is this droid?"

The droids unintelligible stream of language finally transformed into something recognizable. Aminta frowned as she listened to the smooth, clicking words and then brightened. "I understand him!"

Bastila nodded. "Yes, he seems to be speaking a form of Ancient Selkath…how odd. What were the Selkath doing on Dantooine? I had thought that they only resided on Manaan."

"You and me both," Aminta replied dryly and turned back to the droid. ":How did you come to know the Selkath language:" She asked, speaking the modern variant of the language. Carth sighed in the background, and mumbled something about how he should have paid more attention in foreign language class.

":It is the language of the slaves. And yet you are neither slave or builder.;"

Bastila frowned at this point. ":Builder:"

":Yes. The builders charged me with overseeing the creation of the temple. They programmed me with the language of the slaves so that I might convey the builder's wishes.:"

Aminta eyed the droid. ":What happened to these slaves:"

":They were sacrificed upon the creation of the temple, as the Builders ordered.:"

Bastila cleared her throat, and Aminta's eyes widened slightly. "Barbaric," Bastila murmured to Aminta in Basic. Aminta simply shrugged.

":We are looking for a Star Map:" Aminta instructed the droid, who's gears whirred and clicked with pleasure.

":So were the two who came before you. They proved themselves worthy to bear the secrets of the builders.:" he replied, and Aminta nodded slowly, turning to Bastila.

"Revan and Malak," Bastila clarified in Basic once again, and Carth's head jerked slightly. Aminta put a finger to her lips, and Carth refrained himself from pestering the pair with questions.

":That one did not prove himself worthy:" the droid continued, and Bastila's and Aminta's eyes were once again drawn to Nemo's lifeless body.

":And how do we prove ourselves worthy:" Aminta asked, quickly changing the subject.

":To the East and West are two rooms with computer terminals. Use them to unlock the seals on the door to the North. If you prove yourself, you may enter through the door and find what you seek.:"

"Great," Aminta murmured tonelessly, and stalked over to the door. "What do you bet there's some ancient droid in there with it's shields up ready and waiting to kill us?"

Carth grinned. "I don't know; you're the Jedi. Aren't you supposed to be able to scry?"

Aminta eyed him and then shook her head. "You've read too many fantasy data novels, Carth. We need to introduce you to a new genre."

"What, like cheesy Romance stories?" he was quick to respond, and Aminta rolled her eyes.

"Immature, Carth. Immature." She opened the door, and sure enough, a droid lay within, it's red shields pulsing. Aminta reached into the force to disable the creature, and it lay in a smoking heap. Bastila threw her lightsaber at it's still form, effectively destroying it.

"That was easy," Aminta murmured, and headed over to the computer terminal. Upon her approach, the screen lit up from beneath the cobwebs. Aminta impatiently brushed them off and glanced down at the strange characters on the screen. "Weird," she murmured. A slot in the console opened with a loud click, and Aminta frowned for a second as she examined it.

It was no wider then two finger widths, and no deeper than her hand. Suddenly, something clicked in her brain, and she reached into her bag to pull out her datapad. Carefully, she inserted it, smiling slightly when she heard it click into place and the terminal close around it. Several more strange characters blinked onto the screen, and Aminta licked her lips. "You have my datapad," she said slowly, feeling like the stupidest person in the galaxy.

However, that seemed to have been the correct response as the terminal beeped, and then words in Basic appeared on the terminal. It was a riddle, and Aminta sighed softly as she read through it. "Life giving planets?" She quickly entered three terrain types, and the terminal beeped with approval. _Seal removed,_ The characters on the terminal read, and Aminta smiled in satisfaction. "I don't understand why Nemo was unable to get through. That was too simple."

Bastila remained silent, but crossed her arms over her chest in discomfort. _Or perhaps it was because Nemo wasn't nearly as gifted as you are… or as in touch with the dark side._ She kept her mind blocked carefully to be sure that Aminta wouldn't sense her thoughts through her bond.

They exited that room, and repeated a near identical process in the one across the way. Finished there, Aminta re-entered the large chamber with the old droid and stood before the North door. "The dark side… Its taint lies in the room beyond," Bastila murmured, and Aminta sighed.

"Of course. The dark side. That's what it all comes down to with you Jedi, isn't it?" Aminta retorted, turning the large knob on the door.

"Must I remind you that you are a Jedi as well?" Bastila asked smoothly, hiding her discomfort as the door slid open slowly. Carth coughed and turned his head away when Aminta swung her gaze back to Bastila to glare at the woman.

"Only because you would have me killed if I wasn't!" She retorted angrily.

Bastila bit her lip and glanced away. There was nothing that she could say to that statement after all. Instead, she turned her attention to her surroundings. The room bore the same gloom as the other chambers had, but this time, a sense of deja vu clouded her senses; this was the room from the vision. As the three proceeded deeper into the shadows, a strange whirring sound came from the northernmost end.

When they were less than four paces away from a strange, claw shaped object, a ball rose on its own volition and glowed with bright intensity. The claw shaped pieces of metal rose from the floor and separated, and then the ball exploded. The pieces dissolved into light and settled into an iridescent green circle about the claw. "Amazing…" Aminta murmured under her breath, and took a few steps closer.

"There's Tatooine…" Bastila murmured, pointing to a planet on the chart like surface of light. "And Kashyyk… and Manaan, and there is Korriban." She pointed out the planets as she spoke. "This must be some sort of map…but what could it lead to?"

Aminta furrowed her brow. "I spent a long time examining charts in my time as a smuggler. There are coordinates missing on this." She touched her index finger to an empty spot. "Here…" she moved her finger to another, "Here… and here. And that's only a few."

Carth stepped closer to examine the artifact. "Maybe the rest of the coordinates are on these planets," he observed, pointing out the planets that Bastila had touched on.

"Perhaps," Bastila conceded. Then she turned to Aminta. "We should inform the council immediately of our findings."

Aminta groaned. "You can talk to them. I'm not going in those blasted chambers tonight!"

Bastila coughed. "Excuse me?"

Aminta rolled her eyes. "Look, the fracking council made us go to the stupid ruins after making us put up with the Sandral/Matale feud. I haven't had a chance to wallow yet."

Carth laughed, dispelling some of the tension between the two women. "We wouldn't want that, now would we?" He turned to Bastila. "Ami and I will head back to the ship while you speak the council. When you get back, Ami might be able to teach you the finer points of being a woman."

Bastila failed miserably at an attempt to suppress a grimace. "I do not believe that I will be returning to the Ebon Hawk tonight."

————————————————

Mission threw herself onto the couch, and then propped herself up on her elbow to look over Aminta's shoulder. "Watcha doin?" she asked with a grin, and Aminta barely glanced up from her work.

"I'm drawing," she replied, and Mission smiled.

"I saw your sketchbook when I went snooping, but I didn't look through it. Can I see?" she asked, and Aminta couldn't bring herself to say no. Mission was truly a weakness of hers.

"Fine," Aminta replied as she grudgingly passed over the sketchbook. Mission thumbed through it, and her eyes widened.

"These are really good," the girl complimented as she continued to flip through the pages. Mission paused turning the pages when she caught sight of a portrait of a chubby toddler with pigtails and a toothy grin. "Is she someone you know?" Mission asked after a moment, and Aminta chewed on her lower lip.

"Someone I could have known," she admitted, and Mission nodded with wisdom beyond her years. She continued to flip through the pages, pausing every so often to inspect a drawing that she favored above the others before continuing on. After a short time, she paused again.

"Ami, it's Carth!" Mission exclaimed, pointing at a drawing of a man nursing an ale. Aminta narrowed her eyes and frowned as she stared hard at the picture. It was the one that she had done with Leoma the night before the Spire crashed… and indeed, the man portrayed bore a great resemblance to the pilot.

"Well that's just creepy," Aminta muttered, and Mission laughed.

"You honestly didn't know that it was him?"

Aminta's eyes widened and she shook her head. "That's actually more than creepy."

Mission grinned cheekily. "Well then, you two are destined to be together."

At this, Aminta laughed so hard that tears sprung to her eyes. "Hardly, Mission. Hardly."

Mission's brow furrowed in confusion. "But, you guys… you know… and you're really close, and…"

Aminta put her hand in the air to cut off the flow of Mission's words. "Sex isn't always all about love, Mission," Aminta clarified, and chuckled when the girl flushed purple. "And yes, Carth is one of my dearest friends. I trust him with my life; however, I'm not so willing to trust him with my heart."

Mission sighed dramatically and flipped the page. The next drawing was one of herself, although it was a quick sketch rather than a completed picture. In the sketch, she was gripping her blaster and boasting a thousand watt smile. "I like this one," she said after a minute, and Aminta chuckled.

"Somehow I thought that you would," the older woman replied ruefully, and Mission stuck her tongue out. "Mature, Mish. Real mature." Mission scowled and turned her attention back to the sketch book.

Once again, her fingers came to a halt. This time, however, tears welled up in her eyes. It was a baby, the toddler's mouth hanging open slightly as she slept. Beside her drawing of a young girl, her fair hair tumbling about her shoulders, her thumb tucked securely in her mouth when she slept. Behind this one lay another girl, older than the other two, her face at peace and her arms wrapped tightly around her sister. "Vika, Nai, and Rae," Mission murmured, and Aminta nodded slightly.

"I'm glad that I got this one done before…" her voice trailed off as she glanced back down at the picture again. "I think I captured their faces accurately enough. At least I'll have something to remember them by."

Mission nodded slowly, and brushed away a tear. "I miss them, you know? I didn't know them for too long, but they were almost like my sisters."

"Yeah," Aminta murmured and then cleared her throat. "That's the last one that I drew, besides the one that I'm doing now." She took the notebook back from the girl, who managed a smile.

"I think you should draw one of Big Z next," she announced, quickly changing the subject to brighter things.

"Oh?" Aminta asked, bemused. She quickly pushed all thoughts of the three little girls out of her mind.

"Yeah. In braids and pink ribbons," Mission replied with an impish grin, and despite herself, Aminta laughed.

"I'll think about it, Mish. I'm going to go talk to Canderous for a while now, okay?" she excused herself as she stood, and Mission raised a brow.

"Why would you want to talk to that stupid wind bag?" she demanded as she crossed her arms over her chest.

Aminta grinned. "Believe it or not, even he has his uses," she replied with a wink and headed towards the cargo hold. Mission simply shook her head and headed to the women's dormitory, muttering something about delusional warrior want to be's. When she arrived, Aminta poked her head in and found Canderous, predictably, working on the swoop bike.

"Where you been? I started to think I'd have to finish this thing all on my own!" Canderous greeted her, and Aminta shook her head.

"Canderous, Canderous, Canderous. You must learn patience. That's what I've had to do the entire time that we've been planet bound," she replied with mock severity, and Canderous scowled.

"I'm older than you, squirt. I can boss you around," he threatened, and Aminta smirked.

"I'd like to see you try, Candy. Anyway, I couldn't leave you all alone. I haven't finished the engine yet. What good would a bike be without an engine, I ask you?"

Canderous chuckled and turned his attention back to the bike. "All your stuff is right where you left them. Have at it," he replied dismissively, and Aminta rolled her eyes.

"So, what have you been doing while I've been training?" she asked after a few moments of silence, and Canderous shrugged.

"I've been hunting some Iriaz. Made a decent amount of credits from that, I guess. And I've been hunting down the Mandalorains on the planet; the worthless sons of Kath that they are," he growled and Aminta raised a brow.

"Worthless?"

"Without honor. They kill women and children, the defenseless… they kill for the simple pleasure of causing fear, not for the ambition to enter into battle with a worthy opponent. Pathetic," he spat, his ministrations on the bike growing violent.

Aminta was silent for a moment, digesting the information.

"What did you do with them?" She asked after a time, and Canderous snarled.

"Stripped them of their possessions and left them for the hounds."

"So that's where all the extra weapons came from," Aminta mused. "Did you find killing them worthwhile?" she asked, and Canderous gave her a grim smile.

"It was a necessary evil."

Aminta licked her lips. "Then I applaud your decision," she said after a minute, turning her attention back to the ever-frustrating engine. By now, she was up to her elbows in grease and oils, and she scowled down at the mess. "I'm going to start stripping before I work," she muttered, looking at the mess she had made of her tunic.

Canderous laughed from his place beneath the swoop bike, his anger forgotten for the moment. "I wouldn't be complaining," he replied, the grin evident in his voice.

"Men are such dogs," Aminta muttered, and Canderous chuckled.

"Believe it or not, we are slightly more complex," he replied, and Aminta rolled her eyes.

"Tell me, what do you want to do besides fight over territory, knock hips with a woman, eat, or sleep?" she retorted, and Canderous laughed loudly this time.

"Plenty."

Aminta raised her brows in disbelief. "Really? Like what?"

Canderous grinned. "That's a secret."

"Of course it is," she muttered with a roll of her eyes, turning her full attention back to the engine. They worked for a time in companiable silence, which was interrupted by an all to familiar voice.

"The council had informed me of their decision," Bastila announced, and Aminta groaned.

"Can't it wait? I'm busy."

"You're filthy," Bastila noted with some amusement, and Aminta sighed.

"A girl's got to get dirty every now and again." Canderous snorted in amusement, and Aminta purposefully ignored him. "So, what about the council?"

Bastila glanced to Canderous and then Aminta again. "I believe that this is an announcement that everyone would benefit from hearing," she replied, heading towards the common room.

Canderous rose from his position on the floor and winked at Aminta. "We'd better get going. The Princess beckoned." He grinned when he saw Bastila's shoulder's tense and her chin rise a fraction. "Hey squirt, do you think I touched a nerve?" he mocked Bastila subtly and Aminta groaned.

"Everyone in the common room!" she shouted once they reached the central area, and the other crew members slowly began to trickle in. "It's a little unnerving that you can hear everything in this ship, isn't it?" Aminta asked Canderous under her breath.

The Mandalorian smirked at her. "I'm sure that the dormitory doors are sound proof," he replied, and Aminta rolled her eyes.

"You're crude."

"You know you love me."

Aminta raised her brows. "Cute, Canderous. Real cute."

Bastila shushed them, and turned to face the rest of her companions. "I have just spoken with the council, and they have decided that we are to go on a mission for them. As of tomorrow, we will be leaving Dantooine." A chorus of finally's echoes throughout the room, and Bastila frowned slightly.

"Wait a second! What Mission?" Carth demanded, and Bastila sighed.

She quickly reviewed the finding of the star map with the members of the crew who hadn't heard of it yet before she answered Carth's question. "We are going to be searching these planets for signs of Star Maps. When all are found, the missing coordinates will most likely guide us directly to Malak." At this point, a hush fell over the room.

Aminta stepped in when she felt her companions' fear. "I don't want to keep any of you in the dark. There will most definitely be a confrontation with Malak, and the trip will be dangerous. None of you are obligated to come. I will personally pay for your fare on a transit off of Dantooine if you don't want to put yourself into this situation," Aminta offered.

Zalbaar was the first to speak up. ":You have my life debt, Aminta Jae. I will follow you.:"

"And where Zalbaar goes, I go!" Mission exclaimed emphatically, and Aminta smiled at her.

"I'm coming. Who else would pilot your ship?" Carth teased, and Aminta threw him a grateful smile.

Canderous nodded when Aminta looked to him. "You have earned my respect. Besides, there is great honor in the battle that you are preparing for."

T-3 let out a series of beeps, and Aminta grinned at him. "Don't worry. I wasn't about to leave you behind!"

Bastila cleared her throat, disturbed at how so many people were willing to throw away their lives for the sake of one woman. "There will be another accompanying us," she informed the group stiffly, and Aminta frowned. A familiar form glided into the room with un-human grace, and Aminta's eyes widened.

"Juhani!"

———————————————————

Short chapter, I know. But it was only to get us off of Dantooine. My, oh my how I hate that planet. Anyway, please leave a review. As always, constructive criticism is always appreciated.


	21. Chapter 21

Juhani stood in a secluded area of the common room, wrapping her arms tightly about her body. When she had requested to be sent with Aminta Jae on the mission to find Star Maps, she hadn't spared many thoughts on how she would be recieved by the tightly knit group of friends. They had been polite to her once they discovered that she was traveling with them, almost painfully so. However, Juhani knew that the crewmates were scrutinizing her every move; being far more judgemental than the council ever would. However, all kept thier opinions of her to themselves… all except the hulking brute, that is.

Juhani harbored resentment to all Mandalorians, so when she had seen the one on board, the patch of fur at the back of her neck had stood on end and she was forced to restrian herself from clawing the man's eyes out. His disposition wasn't likely to make her forget the sins his race had commited against her homeworld either. He had taunted her from the beginning, making constant referances to Cathar. After Aminta had ordered him to behave himself, he had resorted to cast mocking glances at her when he thought no one else was watching.

The past three days had been filled with tension aboard the ship, and Juhani cringed at the thought of spending another four cooped up with the people who knew of her weaknesses so intimately. Even the sessions of meditation with Bastila hadn't eased her discomfort or her trepidation. In all reality, Juhani wished that she could be back under the influence of the Masters, and cursed herself for ever wishing to atone for her mistakes.

She shivered, and then glanced about the common room quickly, her yellow eyes flitting from one object to the next in a manner far too rapid for a human to ever hope to accomplish. Her eyes met those of Aminta's, who was sitting cross legged on the floor playing Pazaak with the teenager. Juhani quickly dropped her gaze, and then wrapped her arms tighter about her body.

Aminta bit her lip and turned her attention back to Mission. "I'll finish the game later, okay?" Aminta excused herself, and stretched out her stiff knee as she stood. She had sustained an injury to the area years before, and sitting in one position too long often aggravated it.

"What? But I'm three points away from winning!" Mission complained, and Aminta raised a brow.

"I've beaten you the past six rounds. What makes you think that this one will be any different?" she retorted, and Mission scowled at her.

"Fine. I'll just get Big Z to play a round with me," the girl determined. Once her mind was made up, Mission sprang to her feet and rushed down the hall to the men's dormitory where Zalbaar had spent the past few hours avoiding her. Aminta chuckled, and then turned her attention back to the Cathar.

Juhani looked most uncomfortable, and the young woman kept playing with the hem of her robe, her attention carefully averted from Aminta. Aminta sighed softly. _This might be slightly more difficult than I thought._ She made her way over to the corner where Juhani stood, and stifled a smile when the Cathar jumped.

"Sorry. Didn't mean to scare you," Aminta apologized. Juhani met her eyes, and then dropped them again. She shrugged, and turned her attention back to the hem in her robe. Aminta bit her lip. "So… why don't you tell me about yourself, Juhani?"

Juhani coughed, and her eyes widened. "What? Why would you wish to know about my life?" she replied with suspicion, her lilting accent more pronounced than before.

Aminta shrugged. "I don't know; I just do." When Juhani remained silent, Aminta saw that tactic wasn't going to work. "You seem interesting. Not many Jedi turn to the dark side and then go on a huge quest to redeem themselves. And I'm guessing not many fall in love with their masters either."

"You speak of Quatra?" Juhani asked after a moment, and Aminta hid a smile.

"Of course."

"I was a fool to convince myself that I ever had feelings for her," Juhani replied dismissively. "And it is only natural that I feel I must redeem myself for my fall to the dark side. It is something I believe that I must atone for."

Aminta nodded absently. "I haven't seen many Cathar in my travels," Aminta noted, abruptly changing the subject. Juhani frowned in confusion, and then nodded.

"The Mandalorians destroyed our homeworld. Very few of us made it out alive," the young woman explained, and Aminta smiled.

"So, you are a strong person."

Juhain's eyes widened. "Excuse me?"

Aminta grinned in response to Juhani's shock. "You lived through the destruction of Cathar, you endured rejection, you survived the dark side, and you've embarked on a quest that will most likely cost you your life. You are a very strong person." She paused for a second, and then met Juhani's eyes. "You're not half bad."

Juhani's face slowly transformed into a small smile. "I thank you for your kind words," she responded smoothly, and Aminta laughed.

"You want to get along with everyone on this ship, right?" Aminta asked, and Juhani nodded. "Well then, drop the formalities, have a few drinks, and play a couple rounds of Pazaak. You do that, and you'll fit in just fine."

Juhani frowned, but then nodded slowly. "I will attempt to… how you say? …Loosen up?"

Aminta grinned. "Good idea." She then glanced down the hall to the men's dormitories and turned back to Juhani. "Why don'y you go make yourself two friends at once? Offer to play Mission in Pazaak."

Juhani glanced at Aminta strangely. "What? Why?"

"Because, you'll give Mission a big head since she'll win, and you'll recieve Zalbaar's eternal gratitude for getting the kid away from him. He loves her like his kid, but she drives him nuts."

"Of course. I will do as you suggested," Juhani replied, and headed down the corridor to meet Mission, a noticeable spring in her step.

Aminta frowned thoughtfully as she watched the Cathar go. "I bet the Jedi never gave her much praise," she murmured to herself, and then shook her head. Deciding that Canderous would be good company for a time, she made her way to the cargo hold.

"Candy? You in here?" Aminta called out before she bothered to enter the room.

"If you would have walked two more feet you wouldn't have had to ask that question," Canderous replied gruffly, and Aminta smirked.

"But then I wouldn't be able to get on your nerves. And that is just oh, so fun to do!" Aminta retorted as she headed over to the workbench. Remembering how many shirts she had ruined, she quickly stripped the one that she was wearing off before she proceeded to tinker with the engine.

Canderous laughed gruffly from his spot beneath the engine. "I didn't think that you'd actually do it!"

"Hm?" Aminta didn't bother to glance up from her work. There was a swoop track on Manaan, and she wanted to get the engine stable so that she could race the bike when they landed.

"Strip," Canderous clarified, and Aminta scowled.

"What? You never work with a shirt on."

"Good point," Canderous replied, and Aminta grinned.

"Finally!"

Canderous slid out from his position under the bike. "You got the engine to work?"

"No. I got you to admit that I was right," she retorted, and Canderous glared at her.

"Don't go getting a big head, squirt."

"I wouldn't dream of it, Candy."

The Mandalorian snorted in response. "So, how's the Cathar doing?" Canderous asked after a moment, and Aminta sighed softly.

"Better. She's playing Pazaak with Mission now." Aminta bit her lip, and then turned to Canderous. "You shouldn't speak to her about her homeworld."

Canderous pulled himself out from under the bike and frowned. "Why not? Her people were admirable warriors. I'd think that she'd want to be complimented on the strength of her race. They recieved honor in their defeat."

Aminta sighed. "She doesn't see it that way. She thinks that you're mocking her."

"What?"

"I understand what you're saying, but she doesn't. If at all possible, don't talk to her at all, okay?"

Canderous merely snorted. "I'll talk to who I want to talk to."

"I don't want there to be any bloodshed on my ship."

Canderous laughed gruffly and ducked back under the bike. "Pay attention to your engine, Squirt."

Aminta pursed her lips as though to say something, and then grinned. "Spar with me."

Canderous chuckled and pulled himself out from his place beneath his bike, wiping his grease stained hands off on his pants. "You sure? I beat you to a bloody pulp last time."

Aminta scowled. "You make it sound like I can't fight. I knocked your jaw out of place last time, thank you very much!" Aminta retorted angrily, and Canderous laughed.

"It's your funeral," her replied dismissively with a shurg of his shoulders as he settled himself into a fighting stance.

"Don't be so confident." The pair made eye contact and then began to circle one another. After a brief moment, the two leapt at each other simultaneously.

Aminta made an upper cut with her fist, but Canderous caught her arm and swung her around so that her hand was pinned behind her shoulder blade. She then swung her hips to the left and elbowed Canderous' abdoment with force. The man grunted, and his hold on her arm loosened just enough for her to yank it out of his grasp. Before Canderous had a chance to blink, Aminta made a roundhouse kick so that her foot connected soundly with his jaw.

Canderous grabbed her leg before it made contact with the ground and yanked upwards so that she lost her balance and landed hard on the floor. Before she had a chance to rise to her feet, Canderous had her pinned to the ground, his elbow at her throat. Aminta wrapped her legs around his waist in response, and summoned all of her strength to flip over so that she was on top of him.

Canderous grunted in surprise when he found himself in a similar position to the one Aminta had been a few short seconds before. He quickly punched the side of her face, and Aminta groaned in pain. Canderous then headbutted her, and pushed her off of him. He rose quickly, and Aminta was on her feet not a second later. They circled each other slowly once again, thier bodies slick with sweat and grease from the swoop bike.

Once gain they attacked one another, and this time, Canderous' fists reigned blows onto Aminta body. After a short time of acting as a puinch bag, Aminta rose her arms up and blocked his blows, landing a few of her own punches to Canderous' gut. Canderous growled and lunged at her, causing Aminta to stumble backwards and slam into the wall.

Her head ached from the contact, and her brain was foggy for enough time for Canderous to pin her arms over her head with one hand, and wrap his other one around her throat. When Aminta regained her senses, Canderous tightened his grip on her throat. "I win," he hissed into her ear in triumph, and Aminta glared at him.

"You overgrown son of a Kath!" she spat, and Canderous chuckled.

"You asked for it," he replied with a grin, still not releasing his hold on her throat. It was a thing that he had… he didn't let up until Aminta would admit that he won.

"Hey, Canderous! Have you seen…" Carth's form appeared in the doorway, and then he trailed off. "Am I… uh… interrupting something?" he asked after a moment, glancing between the two.

It was then that Aminta realized how she and Canderous looked. Neither were wearing shirts, both were sweating, and Aminta was pressed up against the wall. "We're sparring," she replied to the goggle eyed Carth. Aminta then groaned in frustration and struggled against Canderous' hands. When he showed no signs of relenting, she sagged with defeat. "Fine! You won. Let me go already!"

Canderous chuckled and released his grasp. "Maybe you won't be so eager to challenge me next time." Aminta glared at him, and before Canderous had a chance to blink, he was thrown into the wall. "No force powers!" he exclaimed angrily, and Aminta laughed mockingly.

"Maybe you won't be so eager to challenge me next time," she mimicked him, and then turned to Carth. "Did you need something?" she asked brusquely as she grabbed a towel off of the workbench and attempted to remove some of the grime from her body. Canderous made himself busy tending the swoop bike.

"I was just checking to see if you at lunch yet," Carth replied, his eyes critically glancing over her bared torso. "You've gained some weight," he noted with approval, and Aminta scowled.

"You say that like its a good thing," she muttered, and Carth chuckled.

"It is. But you still have more to gain… so come eat your lunch," he replied, unperturbed by the dark glare that she was throwing him.

"What, do you have an obsession with fat women?" she muttered, and Carth shook his head with a smile.

"You're still a good twenty pounds underweight for a woman your size. Once you get to be five pounds underweight… then we'll negotioate," he replied.

"Whatever you say, Dad." Aminta grabbed her shirt once her hands were sufficiently clean but made no move to put it on. "May I have permission to take a shower first?" she asked, mimicking the voice of a young child. Carth chuckled.

"You'd better. You smell like Bantha poodoo."

Aminta scolwed at him. "Jerk."

"I aim to please."

"Of course you do," Aminta muttered as she exited the room and headed for the refresher.

———————————————————-

The following four days passed slowly, and all aboard the Ebon Hawk were glad when the ship finally made landing. Mission was the first to spring from her seat in the Common room, and she turned to Aminta quickly. "I'm going to go exploring. I'm getting really sick of this ship!" she announced, and Bastila held up a hand.

"Do not steal anything on Manaan, Mission," Bastila warned the teen, who made a face. "Their rules are very strict here. If you are caught, you will be executed," she warned, and Mission swung her gaze to Aminta.

The smuggler sighed and shrugged. "You'd better listen to her this time. I wouldn't want my favorite twi'lek to end up dead. Besides, we have plenty of credits already."

"But…" Mission began to protest, but Zalbaar's growl cut her off. Sullenly, she crossed her arms over her chest. "Fine. No pick pocketing, no shop lifting. Can I please get off of this ship now?"

Aminta glanced over to Zalbaar, and inclined her head. Zalbaar nodded in response. ":I shall go with the cub, Aminta Jae:" Zalbaar replied to her unspoken question, and Aminta nodded her head in approval.

"Feel like coming with me, Canderous?" Aminta asked, and Canderous grinned broadly in response. Aminta chuckled. "That's a yes. Is the swoop bike ready?"

"It could use a few touch ups, but its ready to race, if that's what you're asking."

Aminta smiled. "Well, it appears you have your uses after all."

"Unfortunately, I have yet to discover your's, squirt," he retorted, and Aminta raised a brow.

"Touche. I must be rubbing off on you, Candy."

Canderous snorted, but said nothing. Aminta then turned her attention to the rest of the group. "Canderous and I are going to do some recon work, and then head over to the swoop track. Who wants to come with?" Juhani carefuly averted her gaze, and Aminta knew that bringing her along with Canderous would be an extremely bad idea.

"I shall remain here with Juhani. I admit that I am not quite eager to return to another swoop race." Bastila admited, color rising to her pale cheeks.

"Does this have to do with the fact that the Vulkars trussed you up like a Nal Hutta joy girl and stuck you out for everyone to see?" Canderous replied with a smirk, and Bastila's face grew even redder.

"Okay, that just leaves you, Carth. Do you want to come, or do you want to stay on the ship?"

Carth frowned. "The engine needs some work; I should probably stay behind this time. I'm not too fond of swoop tracks, anyway. I'll come with you once you figure out what you're doing though. And once you're done with the Swoop track."

Aminta shrugged. "Well, Candy. It looks like it's just you and me. Ready to go?"

"Yeah," he replied gruffly and turned to Carth. "Hey, Republic. Make yourself useful and have someone deliver our bike to the track, will ya?"

"_Our_ bike?" Carth replied with a raised brow, and Canderous smirked.

"Squirt and I worked on it together. It's _ours._ Now, do it."

Carth smiled, but the warmth didn't quite reach his eyes. "Sure, Candy."

Canderous' eyes widened, and he picked Carth up off of the floor with one hand. "Don't you ever call me that!"

Aminta sighed and placed her hand to her head. "Will you just try to get along? Please?" she demanded, looking between the two. Canderous snarled, and grudgingly let go of Carth, who glared at him angrily. "Honestly, you're acting like overgrown childern. I would have expected better from you."

"Don't scold me," Canderous retorted, and Aminta rolled her eyes.

"You alright, Carth?" she asked, ignoring the hulking Mandalorian standing next to her.

"I'm fine… can't say as much for my pride," he replied with a chuckle and another glare at the Mandalorian. Canderous just smirked.

Aminta groaned. "Come on, Canderous, let's get out of here. We don't want another war on our hands." With that, she turned on her heel and headed towards the exit. "Men act like overgrown…" she muttered under her breath, completing the phrase with hair raising explectives. Canderous laughed gruffly in response as they descended the exit ramp.

"If you call him a man."

Aminta closed her eyes and continued walking. "Is this deja vu, or have we had this conversation before?"

"We've had it before. I just thought you would've changed your mind by now," he replied, and Aminta sighed softly.

"He's a friend, Canderous. A good friend. Hell, I can act like a teenager around him… there's not many guys who you can do that with. Of course, you are just an overgrown teenager yourself, so I doubt you can appreciate that quality," she retorted with a smirk, and Canderous chuckled.

"You've got a big mouth, you know that, Squirt?"

"How do you think I got such a big head?"

Canderous chuckled at that. The hangar that Carth had landed the Hawk in was small, but its large windows held sweeping views of the sea. Aminta's breath hitched in her throat as her gaze was drawn to the waters, and she paused. Frowning, Canderous pauzed and followed the direction of her eyes. "Didn't peg you as the romantic type," he noted, and Aminta shook her head.

"I'm not. Deralia had oceans too… I haven't seen one since…" she sighed. "This place reminds me of home," Aminta ammended, and turned her back to the view. Canderous brusquely followed suit, and followed her without comment.

Aminta appreciated that more than he would ever know. Whereas Carth would pry for information, Canderous was just there. No comments, no idle chatter; nothing but his silent support. Not that she didn't appreciate that Carth cared, not that she didn't enjoy knowing there was someone to talk to. She cast a sidelong glance at the man walking beside her and her lips quirked upwards slightly. The two men she traveled with were as different as night and day.

"Do you know where we're going?" Canderous asked as the pair exited the hangar and entered Ahto City.

Aminta shrugged. "In all honesty, I've never been here before. There is supposed to be a check in somewhere to the left, though. Maybe-" her words were cut off as a Sith soldier came into sight.

Canderous instinctively reached for his gun, but Aminta blocked his hand. "The Selkath have strict rules. One mistep, and you're executed."

Canderous scowled. "Fish brains," he muttered under his breath, and Aminta rolled her eyes.

"They feel that they need to. Manaan is the only producer of Kolto in the galaxy, and they want to remain neutral. For that to happen, they have to strictly maintain the peace on their planet."

Canderous lifted a brow. "For someone who's never been to Ahto City, you sure know a lot about the place," he noted, and Aminta smirked.

"I read. It's a habit that you should probably undertake. Brute strength doesn't mean anything when you're as dumb as a Bantha," she teased with a slight smile, her gaze still directed at the Sith.

"At least you admit that I've got brute strength," Canderous replied easily. Aminta merely snorted.

A republic soldier was swiftly approaching to their right, and both the Sith and sodlier came to a dead halt when they saw each other. Each reached for their weapons, cast a glance at one of the many security droids, and stayed their hands. The Sith was the first to speak.

"Why don't you attack me, scum? You know you want to!" he taunted, and the Republic soldier set his jaw.

"Why don't you make the first move?" the younger man retorted, and the Sith sneered.

"Coward," he accused, and the soldier's fists tightened at his sides.

"This coming from the man who refuses to attack me," he replied, and the Sith smirked.

"Just you wait. Once we've conquered the galaxy, I'll have your head on a platter."

"Once the Republic wins, I'll personally oversee your execution."

The Sith laughed, and then shook his head. "You're all words. You wouldn't have the stomach to watch a mass murder," he replied smoothly, and then turned in the other direction.

"Hutt slime!" The republic officer shouted at the Sith's back, who merely laughed in response and then continued on his way.

Canderous met Aminta's glance and grinned. "Well, there certainly isn't any tension on this planet."

"None whatsoever," Aminta drawled, and then turned her attention towards the soldier. "Excuse me?" she called, and the soldier whirled around.

"What?" he snapped, and then caught sight of the lightsaber strapped to her hip. "Oh! My apologies, Master Jedi. It's just that these blasted Sith… nevermind. How can I help you?" he asked after he had regained his composure.

"I'm looking for check in. Could you direct me?" Aminta asked brusquely, and the soldier nodded.

"Of course. It is just down the hall to your left. Turn through the first door, and you're there," he directed her, and Aminta nodded.

"Thanks." Then she turned to Canderous and winked. "See any good Swoop matches recently?" Aminta asked the soldier after a second's hesitation, and the man shook his head.

"I don't particularly enjoy racing. I can vouch for the Cantina here, however. They serve a great ale," he advised, and Aminta grinned.

"Would you know anything about artifacts?" she asked, abruptly changing the subject.

The soldier frowned. "Artifacts?"

"Ancient things. We're actually looking for something called a star map," she explained, hoping that the soldier would know something. He scratched his head, and his frown deepened before he shook his head.

"Roland Wann, the director of the republic base, might be able to help you out. Stop by there, and he'll probably be able to tell you something," he offered, and Aminta nodded. With that, she and Canderous headed on their way.

The soldier's directions were easy enough to follow, and they soon had a passkey to Ahto City in hand, as well as a warning on the severity of the Selkath's punishment. Apparently, the 'fish brains,' as Canderous called them, were as attatched to their neutrality as the Mandalorian was to his repeating rifle.

Soon, the pair had exited the greeting room, and had entered the jewel of the Selkath, Ahto City. A large marble fountain demanded attention, and the languid trickling of the water exuded the same serentiy as the silver, white, and blue color palette. However, the furnishings and even the fountains were understated to magnify the beauty of the ocean.

A thin wall and polished railing were all that seperated Ahto City from the waters which were deceptively calm. Cool breezes found their way over the wall, and the city itself bore the scent that only salt water can bring. All in all, it was a beautiful place, and Aminta found it not suprising that those who had built it wished to keep neutrality. Their tastes were steeped in the serene; why should their political policies be any different?

"So, where's this swoop track?" Canderous asked, cutting into Aminta's reverie. Aminta scowled at him in response.

"Mandalorians," she muttered under her breath. "The idiots have no appreciation for beauty."

Canderous guffawed in response, and Aminta rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah. We'll find you're blasted swoop track." She tapped on the shoulder of the nearest person, who turned slowly to face her. "Do you know where I could find the Swoop race coordinator?"

The woman that Amitna had made the mistake to question gave her a cursory glance, and her gaze settled on Aminta's lightsaber. "It is obvious that you are affiliated with the Republic. I have no time to talk to you," she replied easily before turning her attention back to the group of women surrounding her.

"It doesn't take much time to tell me where a racing track is!" she exclaimed in exasperation, and the woman raised a brow.

"It takes time that is too valuable to waste on you. Besides, you could never hope to compare yourself to a real woman," she replied and turned back to the other women quickly. Seething, Aminta reached for her lightsaber, but one of the Selkath turned his eyes on her and she was forced to loosen her grip on its hilt.

Canderous chuckled. "If she thinks that she's a real woman, she's got another thing coming to her."

Aminta sighed and shook her head. "Come on, Candy. There's got to be someone who will tell us where to go."

"Good luck finding him."

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I know, I know. Another short one, and not much closure at the end, but I felt that I owed you guys an update. It's been over a week, after all. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed and please review.


	22. Chapter 22

Wow it's been a while! Sorry about the delay. Life you know; such a bummer. Thanks for being so patient everybody. Love ya'll.

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Bastila frowned and placed a hand to her head as she felt Aminta's exhilaration blast through her mind like one of the sand storms on Tatooine. As expected, her stomach lurched as Aminta's did, and it took all of Bastila's efforts to block their bond. Swoop racing was dangerous, and if the feelings that Aminta was experiencing were any indication of what it was like to be on a swoop bike, the tracks were every bit as awful as the council made them out to be.

Juhani took a seat beside Bastila on the floor of the women's dormitories, carefully tucking her feet beneath her thighs with the innate grace of her race as she did so. "What is wrong?" she asked smoothly as she ran her hands over her tunic.

Bastila chanted the code in her head in an effort to appear as serene as the others expected her to be. "The bond I share with Padawan Jae can be troublesome at times," she explained stiffly, and Juhani nodded as she averted her gaze, feeling ashamed for asking the simplest of questions. Bastila felt the woman's disturbance through the force, but chose to offer no apology for her abrupt tone.

The two women were silent for a few moments before Juhani turned back to Bastila. "I have been having a great deal of trouble meditating as of late. Would you be willing…" at this point she trailed off.

Bastila nodded quickly without so much as a blink and settled into a meditation pose- her legs crossed, her back straight, her hands resting ever so lightly on her knees. Juhani quickly bent her body into a similar position and closed her eyes as she concentrated on breathing. The act of meditation was once an easy feat for the woman to accomplish, but since her fall to the dark side everything had become jumbled in her mind.

Bastila felt Juhani's confusion as she adjusted her breaths to each wave of the force, and allowed herself to be carried by the current to Juhani's mind. It was indeed a troublesome place to be in… Where the strong, pulsing waves settled into threads that were organized neatly in shades of green and blue Bastila's mind, Juhani's mind bore a jumbled knoy of red, black, yellow, and purple. The current that swirled about the Cathar was strong, but it had a taint to it that Bastila's own mind did not bear.

Tentatively, Bastila helped Juhani detangle the mass of emotion and strings of the force that whipped about the Cathar like a storm while sending images of calm and serenity to Juhani's troubled spirit. After a time, Juhani was able to manage on her own, and she sent Bastila a wave of gratitude before continuing the inner workings of her spirit.

The force drew Bastila back to her own mind, where she concentrated on weaving the right threads together to form a barrier around her mind- one that kept her thoughts from leaking over to Aminta's consciousness (Force forbid! What a disaster that would be), but allowed her to peer into Aminta's mind when she had the need. Satisfied at last, Bastila drew herself out of her subconscious and entered the real world.

The jolt that she received upon emerging from meditation was anticipated, however she wasn't entirely prepared for it. She glanced over to Juhani's form, and breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that the woman was still deep in the throws of her own mind. Bastila harbored a deep dislike for the Cathar. For one to betray the Jedi… Bastila refused to continue the thought, knowing the dangerous territory that it would lead her into. Aminta was gone for the day after all. Out of sight- out of mind. Or so she hoped.

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Aminta smirked at Canderous and tossed him her helmet. "Ha. You owe me fifty credits."

Canderous caught the gear easily, and threw it back at the woman's head, but she held it aloft through the force with a grin. Canderous scowled. "You cheated."

Aminta twirled the helmet around in the air before allowing it to fall back to her hands. "I most certainly did not," she defended herself half heartedly and Canderous harumphed.

"You used the force," he retorted, and Aminta laughed.

"Ah, but that isn't cheating," she replied easily as she wagged a finger in his face. "It's a nice trick to have up your sleeve, but it isn't cheating. Besides, you can't even prove that I used the Jedi mumbo jumbo. Now stop being such a wuss and pay up," she demanded as she held out her hand.

"This is the last time that I ever make a bet with you," he grumbled as he threw the credit chip at her. Aminta caught it with one hand and tucked it into her belt. "You're a scoundrel."

Aminta raised a brow. "You say that like it's a bad thing."

At that, Canderous chuckled gruffly. "So, what are you planning on doing with all of the credits that you earned?" he asked after a moment as he grabbed her elbow and steered her away from a Selkath that was eyeing her a little too closely.

Aminta sighed and rubbed the back of her neck. "Almost all of it will go to weapons and armor. What little there is left is going to have to be divided amongst the crew… money doesn't go very far these days."

"Ah, the horrors of being in charge," Canderous snickered, and Aminta scowled at him. "You could always use Mission's philosophy, you know."

"What? Steal to get my bread?" She laughed humorlessly. "I did. That's how I got into the whole mess. Do you honestly think that I want to be on the planet of red tape?"

"I thought you liked Manaan."

Aminta shrugged. "I did. Before the war that is. Now that they've gone neutral and are enforcing the peace with drastic measures… I'm not too fond of it anymore."

Canderous chuckled and nodded. "Rules and regulations always do tend to spoil the party."

"No kidding," Aminta replied dryly.

Canderous stopped in front of the cantina and turned to Aminta. "I don't know where you're going, but I'm starving. Want some lunch?" he asked, nodding to the sign hanging outside the door.

"You sure you're not just going in for a drink?" Aminta asked with a raised brow, and Canderous chortled.

"Of course I am. And I'm going to spend my portion of the winnings on a glass of Tarisian ale. But I thought you'd like something to eat while I was drinking."

Aminta rolled her eyes. "How incredibly considerate of you."

Canderous grinned, and then headed inside. Aminta braced herself for the wall of smoke that usually enveloped her when she entered a cantina, but found the place disappointingly sterile. The floors shone like new, and the large room was decorated in tasteful colors, all muted to bring about the constant air of serenity. "Well, this is the highest class bar I've ever been in," she muttered darkly, and Canderous sighed.

"You know squirt, we've got to get you used to the finer things in life."

"I'd define the 'finer things' as a ball gown, a room with chandeliers and an actual dance floors where they play the Telonisian Waltz. Not a cantina that looks like it should be located somewhere in a hospital."

"I was being sarcastic."

Aminta rolled her eyes. "I know that." She grimaced as she looked about the room in distaste. "Guess we'll have to be on good behavior, huh?" she noted wryly, and Canderous chuckled.

"You? Behaving properly? That's a laugh."

"Shut up, Candy."

"I don't take orders, Squirt."

Aminta made a noise in the back of her throat in response before she turned to the bar. "Are you going to get that drink or what?" she muttered darkly and Canderous grinned.

"I don't know. Are you going to buy my drink for me?"

"Are you ever going to treat me like a lady?" Aminta retorted, and Canderous raised his eyebrows.

"What? You're a lady?"

"Mandalorian…" Aminta muttered threw gritted teeth, and Canderous leered at her.

"You can have yourself a nice little temper tantrum while I'm drinking my ale," he patted her head, and was gone before she had a chance to swing at him.

Aminta's eyes narrowed as she watched the hulking man order a tall glass of the most potent drink the cantina had to offer. _I really wish I knew where those hangover pills went to… Oh well; doesn't matter. If I can't find them, neither can he._ The thought of Canderous waking up with a pounding head in the morning gave her somewhat of a sense of justification. Of course, he'd be a beast to deal with… _It is so worth it._

As Canderous downed his drink in a few gulps, Aminta concentrated on surveying her surroundings. Ignoring the pristine condition of the walls and the near sparkling floors, she looked to the beings gathered within. Several sith were there, enjoying their drinks as they spoke; a selkath stood in the corner by himself, ostracized by those who were visiting his homeworld. Finally reaching the conclusion that no one was worth her time, she headed towards the bar.

The bartender was, of course, a selkath, and he eyed her warily as she approached. ":What can I get you?:" he asked in his strange, slurring language as he glanced over to Canderous who had downed two ales already. Aminta grimaced at her friend and turned back to the Selkath.

"Do you have any fruit?"

The bartender smiled in relief that the woman before him wouldn't be as disruptive as her companion was. ":Of course,:" he replied graciously, his tone slightly warmer to her than it had been a moment before.

_Must not appreciate drinking. Trask would have loved this guy._ Steeling herself against the thought of her friend, Aminta ordered a small fruit bowl and took a chair a ways away from Canderous. Unfortunately, her choice of seating landed her beside a drunk Sith.

"Hey gorgeous," he slurred and Aminta rolled her eyes and turned her head away from him. She reached into the force so she could block out the crude comments he was making towards her, thankful that the blasted Jedi were good for at least something. The barkeep returned with her food, and Aminta thanked him before tossing him a credit chip. All the while, the Sith kept talking, and Aminta continued to ignore him as she ate her food.

Finsihed, she stood and left the Sith where he was sitting as she headed over to Canderous. A look over her shoulder revealed that the guy was so plastered that he continued to speak to the empty chair that she had vacated. Choking back a laugh, she finally reached Canderous' side and roughly pushed his shoulder. "I'm heading back to the Hawk. You gonna come with, or do you want to stay and drink some more?"

Canderous glowered at her before drinking the remainder of his ale with gusto and signaling the barkeeper for another one. "I stay," he growled, and Aminta smirked.

"You're going to fork over all your credits to 'fishboy'," she warned him, and Canderous glared at her before tossing another credit chip onto the counter. Sighing with resignation, Aminta headed out of the cantina and wandered down the streets of Ahto City. Deciding to take a different route back to the Hawk, Aminta unwittingly stumbled upon the shopping district.

Shops lined both sides of the street, and although the advertisement was subtle, it was there. It had been a long time since Aminta had simply been able to shop. She'd been so busy over the past few years, after all. She found herself wondering whether or not she should waste her time peeking into the multitude of stores before she stopped debating and scowled at her behavior. _I'm traversing the galaxy for the blasted Jedi. Who the hell cares whether I shop for a few hours or not. I've earned the right to be selfish._ With that thought, she continued down the street for a while with a spring in her step.

Out of the corner of her eye, Aminta caught sight of something very blue. Turning quickly, she saw Mission skipping through the streets. Apparently the girl had made quite a few purchases- Zalbaar was trailing behind wailing mournfully as he held an armload of packages. "Mish!" Aminta called, and the girl whirled around to face her.

"Hey Ami!" Mission cried out, and sprinted over to where the woman stood. Zalbaar followed his charge quickly, growling out complaints about infantile behavior as he did so. "I thought you were with Canderous," Mission noted when she drew to a stop, and Aminta realized with a smile that the girl was scarcely out of breath.

"He decided to get plastered," Aminta explained, and Mission giggled.

"He's a moron!" she exclaimed with a toss of her lekku, and Aminta grinned.

"Have fun shopping?" The woman asked as she gestured to the packages that the poor Wookie had been forced to carry. Zalbaar met her eyes and growled pitifully, earning him a chuckle and a pat on his furry arm.

"Did I ever!" Mission exclaimed, her lekku twitching with excitement as her mouth stretched into a wide grin. "The people here actually let me into the stores! There weren't any signs up sayin' NO ALIENS ALOUD, or nothin'." The girl gushed, and Aminta paused as she waited for the cloud of hurt to pass over Mission's face at the mention of Taris. Thankfully, the young girl was too excited to realize her off hand reference, and she grabbed Aminta's sleeve. "You need to get some stuff for yourself too," Mission announced, and Aminta grinned at her enthusiasm.

"Much as I'd love to, the credits I earned have to go to armor…"

Mission cut Aminta off before she could continue her sentence. "We've got plenty of armor already. Besides, you earned the money. You should do what you want with it!"

"Mish…"

"Come shopping with me. Please?" Mission made a pouting face, and Aminta sighed in resignation.

_Gods girl, you really are going soft._ "Fine. But only for a little while," she conceded, and Mission grinned.

"Come on! This store over here has it advertised that they have great sales! They've got clothes, jewelry, and everything. You have to go in there. I was about to go in before I saw you…" The girl began to ramble on and on, occasionally gesturing to one package or another. Aminta forced herself to listen, although her attention continued to drift elsewhere.

"…And Flanigan's Boutique had all kinds of sparkly things- they were kind of ugly really- but there was this one necklace that was such a pretty shade of red. But, you know, read and blue don't really match, so…" Mission continued on as she dragged Aminta through the doors of the store she had referenced earlier.

There were indeed amazing sales on everything from fabric to armor. Aminta's gaze locked on the weapons rack, and Mission sighed dramatically. "Come on, let's look at the girly stuff first. You can look at the swords later." With that, she pulled Aminta in the direction of the clothing racks, and dropped Aminta's arm only long enough to pull garments out for the woman's inspection.

"Look, Mish, these are very pretty…" she gestured to the clothes draped over Mission's arm. "But considering our mission, they're not very practical. Besides, I already have a case full of civilian clothes."

"Yeah, right," Mission agreed as she placed the garments back on the rack. "But your supply of unmentionables is seriously lacking. So was mine, actually, but I bought some in Vitaria's Secret an hour ago." Zalbaar growled out his mortification at entering such a store, but both females ignored him.

Aminta's eyes widened. "They have a Vitaria's Secret on Manaan?"

Mission dimpled. "Yeah. Isn't it great? They had perfume there too. And pajamas. And lingere, but who needs that?" she asked with a scrunched face, and Aminta smiled.

"Plenty of people dear. Just none your age," Aminta clarified for the girl who scowled at her.

"I'm not a baby you know."

"I know. So, can we head back there, or what?"

Mission grinned, delighted at the thought of actually shopping with Aminta. The last time they had gone together had been incredibly frustrating… Mission determinedly blocked Taris from her mind, and hurried to the shop exit. "Come on, Ami!" she exclaimed over her shoulder as she raced out into the sunlight. Swallowing a laugh at Zalbaar's muttered complaints, Aminta follwoed.

The last time she had been in Vitaria's Secret… well, it had been ages ago. She had gone with a good friend of hers actually, Vitaria Niele. Aminta had laughed at the name of the store yet again when she looked at her friend, who had gone red in embarassment.

"_I wonder what your secret is, Vitaria."_

"_Please, Ami. I think you know all my secrets," the tall blonde laughed as she tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. _

_Aminta grinned and skipped ahead. "Do I?"_

_The girl sighed dramatically, and planted her hands on her hips. "Fine. You want to know my secret? I own this bloody store and I named it after me so that all my friends would make fun of me."_

_Aminta laughed and shook her head. "Wow, Vi. You really are good at quick comebacks, aren't you."_

"_Not as good as you," Vitaria teased. _

"_No, you're not," Aminta replied simply and both girls laughed as they entered the store._

The next thing she knew, Aminta was pulled rudely from memory lane by a blue twi'lek with a bright smile. "Come on Ami. They had some pretty neat stuff on the clearance racks," Mission announced before flouncing inside. The cashier winced, and managed to give Aminta a watery smile in greeting after seeing the twi'lek go bounding through her store yet again.

"I see Mission's made some friends," Aminta commented to Zalbaar, who stood directly behind her.

":You have no idea,:" Zalbaar growled, and Aminta realized belatedly that Zalbaar was using her as a buffer between him and Mission. _Shavit._

Aminta found Mission at the back of the store, and she joined the girl in sorting through the sales rack. Surprisingly, the sales area of the store was in every bit as good order as the normal sections. _These selkath just turn over all the rules of organization, don't they?_

Aminta carefully picked out the most practical of the undergarments in her size, and Mission scowled at her. "Come on, get something at least kind of pretty," the teenager muttered, and Aminta spared the girl a smile.

"Those are more expensive."\

"Who cares?" Mission replied flippantly. "At least pick ones with some sort of color to them. The ones you chose are all black, tan and white."

"Black for black shirts and skirts, white for white shirts, and tan for everything else," Aminta clarified, and Mission sighed dramatically.

"You're hopeless."

Aminta grinned in response and continued shifting through the rack before pulling out a thin, frothy and all together flimsy article of lingerie that could only be defined as completely impractical. She checked the price tag and smiled slightly when she realized exactly how dirt cheap it was. And from Vitaria's Secret. Jackpot.

Mission glanced over to see what Aminta had added to their basked and frowned. "What are you going to use the for?" she wondered aloud, and Aminta gaze her a look. Mission scrunched up her face in distaste and coughed as her skin turned purple with her blush.

Laughing aloud, Aminta rested her hand on Mission's shoulder. "Don't worry. It's not going to be used any time soon. It's just a useful thing to have around," she clarified, and Mission turned slightly more blue than purple.

"Are you sure you don't want anything besides those boring colors?" she asked, completely changing the subject.

"Yes," Aminta replied simply, and Mission sighed in resignation.

"Fine then. Let's go pay."

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The girls arrived back at the Hawk, Zalbaar coming a few steps behind them with their packages in tow. Aminta had finally convinced Mission to allow her into a store that sold weapons and armor, and had spent a good hour pouring over the items within. Aminta had then forced Mission to carry her clothing purchases so that Zalbaar wouldn't be too encumbered, and had clearly stood out on the streets as tourists on their way back.

Bastila met them at the ramp, and frowned when she saw all the purchases. "Don't worry, Bas, we didn't forget you," Aminta said with a smile, tossing Bastila a small package. Bastila sighed and turned back to the hawk.

Aminta grinned and nudged Mission. "I told you she wouldn't be very happy about the shopping spree."

Mission shrugged. "Oh well. It was fun."

Aminta and Mission headed to the girl's dormitory where they dropped off their personal purchases before the pair took several of the bags of armor from Zalbaar and then carried those to the cargo hold. Finally finished with the day, Mission wiped her hands on her pants and yawned. "I think I'm going to go to sleep. Shopping really makes you tired," she announced, and Aminta grinned.

"Go on. I'm going to see if Canderous made it back yet." The two parted ways, and Aminta poked her head into the men's dormitory, and smiled in amusement when she saw Canderous sprawled out on his bunk, snoring loudly. Stifling a chuckle, she left the room and headed to the cockpit, where Carth had dozed off.

Slowly, she crept into the room and placed her hands on his neck. Her touch made Carth awake with a start, and he almost reached for his blasters before realizing that it was just Aminta. "Hey," he greeted her somewhat sheepishly, and ran a hand over his face as he yawned.

"Hey yourself." Aminta curled up in the co-pilot's chair, and glanced over the controls. "What are you doing in here? We're not flying," she noted, and Carth gestured to a screen that was beeping softly.

"Just checking up on things," he admitted, and Aminta smiled.

"You would be," she murmured under her breath, and Carth chose not to ask her to clarify.

"So, what did you find out?"

Aminta rubbed the back of her neck with her hand. "I won the championship on Manaan. That was… interesting. The twi'lek that I bested really has it out for me, I swear," she grumbled, and Carth laughed. "Nobody really knew anything about ancient artifacts, but a republic soldier told me to go visit Roland Wann. Said he might know a thing or two."

Carth nodded. "I recognize the name. Fought with him once."

"Is he trustworthy?" Aminta probed, and Carth took the comment as a thinly veiled insult.

He glared at her. "Come off it."

Aminta rolled her eyes. "Don't get yourself into a fit Carth. I was being serious."

Carth eyed her warily and then shrugged. "Fought with him once. He's a little hard around the edges, but overall he's okay."

"You don't sound too taken with him," Aminta noted, and rubbed a hand over his face.

"He's too much of a… tactician, I guess. Anything for victory- he doesn't quite care how many men have to die before he gets it," he clarified, and Aminta frowned.

"Isn't that usually the policies used for war? I mean, better a soldier's death than that of a hundred civillians," Aminta observed, and Carth shifted uncomfortably.

"I hope you don't feel that way about your crew's lives."

Aminta shrugged and looked away. "A month ago, I could have cared less. Now…" she trailed off. "Now you don't have to worry about me sending any of you on a suicide mission."

"You would have a month ago?"

Aminta met his eyes. "Yeah."

Carth was silent for a few minutes, and he turned back to the computer screen. "Everything looks to be in order with the Hawk's mechanics. I think I'll be able to join you tomorrow when you go to see Roland."

"I'd like that."

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The next morning found Carth and Bastila trailing after Aminta as they headed towards the Republic base. Carth, who had never been to Manaan before, found himself staring in awe at the structures that Aminta had passed a day before. Bastila also was barely able to conceal her appreciation for the Selkath eye for beauty.

"You look like tourists," Aminta commented dryly, causing Carth to snap his attention to her, and Bastila to regain her serene composure.

"Manaan is a planet of wondrous beauty," Bastila excused her lack of focus, and Carth merely shrugged sheepishly.

Aminta rolled her eyes and pulled out her datapad to view the directions to the base. The Selkath that she had gotten them from hadn't been too terribly happy that she had interrupted…whatever it was that he had been doing. He certainly hadn't seemed busy at the time. "We take go straight through those doors and then take a right," Aminta informed her companions as she nodded in the correct direction.

"Do you suppose that this Roland Wann will be able to help us in our quest for the star maps?" Bastila asked as the threesome made their way down the long hall.

Aminta shrugged in response. "The grunt soldiers don't know much. Being of a higher position… Roland might know something. He also might know a whole lot more than just something."

"Never know until you try, right?" Carth noted, and Aminta spared him a smile.

Bastila clasped her hands in front of her. "What if there is a traitor among the members of the base that hears us speak of this most delicate matter? We could alert Darth Malak of our intent…"

"What if the chemicals in our body mutate and we spontaneously combust?" Aminta interrupted her, and Bastila frowned.

"I was being serious."

"So was I," Aminta retorted, and Bastila fell into silence. However, the code blared its way through Aminta's mind, and the woman scowled at Bastila. "Get out of my head!" she exclaimed, and Bastila made a hasty retreat. "Gods! How many times do you repeat that thing in one day?"

Bastila sighed and struggled to remain serene. "It is not a 'thing'. It is the sacred code of the Jedi order…"

"And we all know how I feel about the jedi order. Blackmailing snivgolds," Aminta muttered under her breath, and Bastila coughed.

Carth quickly stepped in to play the role of a peacemaker. "Come on. We're here already; you don't want the Republic to know of our… considerable difficulties."

"Is that what you call them?" Aminta replied, and Carth leveled a heavy gaze at her. "Fine, fine. I'm shutting up," she grumbled, and the corners of Bastila's mouth turned upwards in what could only be described as gloating. Thankfully, Aminta didn't see it. If she had, there would have been hell to pay.

The three entered the Republic base, and Aminta practically sagged with relief at the change of atmosphere. The color was darker; less pure somehow, and the atmosphere set Aminta at ease almost instantly. She hadn't realized how incredibly tense the muted colors of the Selkath had made her until that moment. Bastila, however, underwent an opposite reaction to the new environment. _Jedi._

A soldier dressed in orange as fluorescent as the color of Carth's flight jacket approached them and offered his assistance. Aminta requested permission to see Roland Wann - demanded being the appropriate word. The soldier nodded curtly, and escorted the trio to a large desk, behind which sat an older, dark skinned man with a receding hairline.

"What do you need?" he asked gruffly without looking up from his paperwork, and Aminta bit back a sharp sigh of annoyance.

"Help," she said simply, her tone conveying her impatience. Roland at last set aside his spectacles and his attention was caught by the lightsaber that was strapped to her hip.

"Master Jedi," he intoned with an inclination of his head. "I would be pleased to help a member of the order," he informed Aminta formally, and nodded to Bastila as well. A spark of recognition flashed in his eyes when his gaze turned to Carth, but he ignored the pilot and turned back to Aminta.

"We're looking for ancient artifacts. They'd most likely be on the ocean floor," Aminta informed him brusquely, and Roland nodded slowly.

"I may be able to help you," he admitted, and then leveled her with a calculating gaze. "But I'll need your help too. You look like you're up for it."

Aminta raised a brow. "So there's a price for information these days?"

"Not a price for information." At this point, Roland smiled. "A price for a ride to the ocean floor."

Aminta looked to Carth, who nodded. "You know where the ruins are?"

Roland shrugged. "My team came across some ancient artifacts when we went down in the beginning. As I figure, that's your best shot."

Aminta bit her lip, and then met his eyes. "What is it that you need done?" she asked after a moment or two.

With a poker face, Roland replied, "Infiltrate the Sith base."

Ignoring the sputtering of her companions, Aminta pursed her lips and then sighed. "How do I get in?"

Roland grinned, and stepped out from behind his desk. "There are two options that you have," he began as he inserted his security code into the door labeled PERSONELL ONLY. The doors whoosed open, and Roland entered, gesturing Aminta to follow him. The first is this: We have a Sith in custody who knows the code to enter. Unfortunately, he is being most unresponsive." He gestured into a room that had computer terminals surrounding a cage that held a Sith. "Question him, using force if necessary. Once he steels himself from answering you, you must use serum to erase his memory. Too little, and he will find out what is going on. Too much, and he dies."

Aminta nodded. "And the other?"

Roland passed on to another doorway. "We have uncovered a crate of Sith pass keys. Unfortunately, they are heavily encrypted with mathematical sequences that baffle even our most highly trained technicians. One mistake, and the whole passkey is rendered unusable. Thankfully, there _is_ a whole crate to experiment on."

"I'd rather toy with a card than a man's life," Aminta decided after a moment, and Roland nodded. He entered the second room and handed Aminta a pass key. "Here is a blank one. The crate is over there," he gestured to a half empty box, "And the ruined ones are there," he finished, pointing to a box directly next to the computer terminal. "Enjoy."

With that, Roland Wann turned on his heel and exited the room, leaving the trio behind to conduct their work.

Carth frowned, and drew Aminta aside. "Whatever happened to not sending us on any suicide missions?"

Aminta sighed. "You don't have to come. I'll go on my own if I have to."

Bastila chose that moment to enter the conversation. "Absolutely not!" she exclaimed, her voice almost panicked. Quickly, she calmed herself and regained her composure. "I will enter the base with you; you will need a great deal of help, after all."

Carth sighed after a moment. "I'm coming too."

Aminta nodded. "Good. Now, as for this…" she gestured to the computer and sighed. "Might as well get started."

Quickly, she inserted the key into the computer, and frowned as a string of numbers appeared on the screen. 1, 2, 4, 7, 11, 16. She gnawed on her lower lip as she glanced over it, and then laughed. "If this is hard…" Each number was added by one, then two, then three, then four, then five. "Add six and…" she typed in 22. "Bingo."

Once she entered in the answer, a second string of numbers appeared on the screen. 21, 18, 16, 15, 15, 16. It repeated itself, obviously. Aminta entered in 18, and a new string of numbers appeared. 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32. Each number was the result of multiplying the previous number by two. Aminta entered 64, and once again, more numbers appeared. 128, 64, 32, 16, 8, 4. Simple. Each term was divided by two. So, she entered 2.

1, 32, 81, 64, 25. Aminta stared at the numbers, but for the life of her she couldn't make any sense of them. Bastila peered over her shoulder and then smiled. "Six."

Aminta frowned. "How do you figure?"

"I didn't. Just a guess," Bastila admitted, and Aminta sighed.

"Fine." She entered the number 6 into the sequence, and blinked with surprise when it turned out to be the right answer. "Don't go getting a big head," she muttered, and Bastila frowned.

"Jedi are not prideful."

"Of course they're not." Aminta turned her attention back to the screen and coughed. 10.83.32 5 .128. Aminta frowned and rubbed her eyes. _I'm not even going to try._ "Okay, genius, what do you think it is?"

"Seven."

"A guess?" Aminta asked, and Bastila nodded. "Well hell," she muttered, and punched in 7. Not surprisingly, Bastila's guess was correct.

Aminta pulled the card out of the computer terminal. "Well, I guess there's only one thing left to decide."

"Hm?"

"When do we head to the Sith base?"

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Once again, I apologize for the extremely long amount of time it took me to write another chapter. But please, don't let that keep you from reviewing. In fact, it might make me post the next chapter even faster if you drop me a comment.


	23. Chapter 23

"Halt. Who goes there?"

Aminta looked over the Sith woman sitting behind a large, durasteel desk. She was larger than most of the women that Aminta had seen, and the Sith quite obviously carried a great amount of strength. It would be too difficult to take her on as well as the two soldiers that were guarding the entrance to the Sith base. Not to mention the cameras that the Selkath probably had stashed somewhere… There was little room for a Plan B should the key card that Aminta had fail to get them in.

"I'm reporting to the base," Aminta replied as she held out the card for the woman's inspection.

The woman's eyes narrowed as she inspected the card, and then looked to Carth and Juhani who were standing just behind Aminta. "And them?" she asked, gesturing in their direction.

"The man's a buddy of mine. He got himself piss drunk in the cantina and got his card lifted off of him. You might want to start screening people a little more carefully from now on. The Cathar's got an appointment with one of the dark Jedi… she doesn't remember his name or she'd have come on her own," Aminta explained brusquely, and the Sith nodded.

"Well, your card seems to be a current issue. However, you'll have to stop by the front desk once you get in and have it scanned there. Your friend can get a new card there and the Cathar can inquire as to which Jedi she has an appointment with." As the woman spoke, she typed a password into the computer terminal at her desk and then pressed a button. The elevator doors whooshed open and Aminta nodded her thanks as she and her friends walked around the desk and entered.

Carth breathed a sigh of relief once the doors had closed. "That was almost too easy," he noted, and Aminta nodded.

"No kidding. I have a feeling that we'll pay for it once we reach the lobby."

Carth gave her a look. "You know, you could try to be positive."

"If you go into a situation expecting the worst, you're at least prepared."

"That's what I do. There can only be one pessimist in a group you know."

Aminta grinned. "Well, you'd better change your outlook on life pretty quickly because I've already filled that position."

Carth chuckled and shook his head, his attention now diverted to the blinking lights letting them know what floor they were on. "Why didn't you ask Canderous along?" he asked, and cast a glance to Juhani, who stood as far away from the pair as she could manage in the elevator.

"He was hung over," Aminta explained simply, and Carth winced.

"Don't we have hangover pills?"

Aminta sighed. "We used to, but they went missing when we were on Dantooine."

"They're in Mission's pillowcase," Carth replied without thinking, and Aminta's eyes narrowed.

"So you two were the ones that stole them after Canderous and I had our drinking contest! I can't believe it! You're such a jerk!" she exclaimed, and Carth's eyes widened at his mistake.

"I-I-I… What I meant to say was… Well, Mission…"

"You're digging yourself deeper, Onasi."

Carth lapsed into silence and then gave Aminta a sheepish smile. She merely scowled at him. "Sorry?"

"You owe me big time, flyboy." Aminta muttered with her arms crossed over her chest.

"Shavit."

"Shut up," Aminta grumbled, and Carth grinned.

Juhani glanced over at the pair briefly before sighing and turning her attention to her nails. The Mandalorian had made a comment earlier that morning about how they were so sharp that they resembled the claws of a domesticated housecat. Of course, he hadn't said it in such terms. His vocabulary really was quite… colorful.

She had borrowed Aminta's nail file without the woman's knowledge and made certain that her nails were smooth and round. The next time that Canderous bothered to mention anything, she'd make a point to show him just how normal they looked. Of course, he'd probably just make another comment… Mandalorians. They always thirsted after battle whether it be on or off the field.

Thoughts of battle served to remind her of the Sith and what exactly they were doing in the elevator. "Do you really believe there will be much fighting, Aminta?" the Cathar asked, startling Aminta out of her scowl.

"Hm?" the woman replied, her hand straying to the hilt of her lightsaber. Funny. Although she'd had the thing for quite some time, it still felt odd to her to be carrying around a Jedi weapon. She found herself slightly more comfortable with the heavy weight of the vibroblades, however, the lightsabers were far more effective in combat.

"In the Sith base. Do you truly believe that there will be much fighting?" Juhani repeated, striving to keep from sounding exasperated. This woman had attempted to make her life easier while ship bound, after all.

Aminta shrugged. "Let's hope not. But we might as well keep our guards up," she replied, pinning a glare on Carth. Carth rolled his eyes with a slight smile and then shrugged at Juhani as if to say, 'What did you expect? You know her.' Aminta went to cuff him on the back of the head, but Carth caught her wrist without even looking at her.

Juhani felt a corner of her lips turn upwards as she caught Carth's unspoken words and Aminta's swift reaction to them. "Of course," she replied softly, and Aminta wasn't quite sure who exactly the Cathar was agreeing with.

"Let go of my wrist, idiot," Aminta grumbled, turning her attention away from the Cathar and to the man who held her hand captive.

"At least you're not calling me a sexless Gammorean toad," he replied easily, and Aminta made a decidedly unladylike noise at the back of her throat as she wrenched her wrist away from him.

"You're staying with the ship next time we go somewhere."

"It's a free galaxy. Plus, I'm the pilot. If you make me stay on the ship while you go off and do your thing, I won't fly you out of here." Carth retorted, his arms crossed over his chest.

Aminta threw a dark glare in his direction. "I hate you," she muttered, and Carth laughed.

"Of course you do," he replied, patting the top of her head condescendingly.

Just then, the elevator door whirred open, and Aminta faked a pleasant, business like air as she moved to walk past the woman at the security desk. Carth and Juhani followed suit, although the patch of fur at Juhani's neck stood on end as she walked through the lobby of the base.

"Wait a second. Who are you? I don't recognize you," the receptionist called after Aminta, forcing the woman to stop.

_Shavit,_ The curse resounded through Aminta's mind as she turned to meet the suspicious gaze of the tall, graying blonde sitting behind a desk most similar to that of the one outside the base. "Oh? That's a shame," Aminta replied with a smile, and handing the woman her key card. "That should take care of the problem," she continued pleasantly, and the receptionist ran over it with a critical eye.

"How long have you been here?" the woman asked, glancing up at Aminta briefly.

Aminta felt the breath catch at the back of her throat. That was a loaded question. One way, and she'd be let in, the other and she'd be in for a fight. She attempted to tap into the consciousness of the receptionist, but she found that the older woman had shields firmly intact about her mind. _Damn._

"I'm pretty new. That's probably why you don't recognize me," Aminta replied with a shrug and a smile after a few minutes of quick thinking. The receptionist's eyes narrowed.

"This card was discontinued over a month ago. I don't know how you got it, but it obviously wasn't through the Sith." The woman had begun by speaking softly, but with every word she spoke, her voice grew louder so that every occupant of the lobby was staring at the trio.

Aminta closed her eyes and cursed herself a thousand times over before opening them again. "Maybe it was just a misunderstanding. Why don't you call the head officer to sort things out?"

The woman eyeballed her for a second before picking up her comm unit and then barking, "Security, I need you in the lobby, Stat!" In the blink of an eye, a blaster was in her hands, and she fired.

Aminta ducked, narrowly missing a barrage of laser beams, and whipped her lightsaber out of its holster. Quickly, she manipulated the weapon so that its twin blades purred with the speed at which she moved them, and then she rose up as fast as she had ducked.

The whirring double blades deflected the blaster bolts effectively, and as Aminta worked at keeping herself and her friends from being shot, Carth landed several hits on the receptionist before finally managing to land one at the woman's temple. Aminta winced at the spray of blood, realizing almost unconsciously that this would mean a long scrubbing of her armor when she got back to the Hawk.

Juhani had meanwhile made herself busy attacking the various soldiers that had pulled out their vibroblades to join in the battle, and she was tackling three at once by the time that Carth and Aminta had turned around to help. Aminta looked to Carth, and he gave her a short nod before she jumped into the fray. Their fighting style had remained constant throughout their journeys. Aminta would attack, and Carth would watch her back. The system had proven effective with the thugs on Taris; Aminta was sure that it would work again now.

Aminta found Juhani's fighting style somewhat harder to blend with, however. The Cathar fought with sheer abandon, and her legs and arms moved just as often and just as quickly as her lightsaber did. However, her limbs weren't quite at the point where they were flailing- rather, the quick movements were achieved through flexibility and grace. Aminta's movement's were more straightforward, not so much elegant as powerful.

Despite their differences in style, the two women eventually found a rhythm to their movements so that they harmonized, and together, they were a strong force indeed. Their combination of grace and power coupled with Carth's accurate and deadly shooting made the team positively lethal, and after several minutes of intense fighting, their foes lay at their feet.

Juhani smiled and nodded at Aminta as she deactivated her lightsaber and clipped it back to her belt, and Aminta grinned back at her. She then glanced down at her armor and groaned. "Shavit. I'm going to have to get this thing cleaned," she muttered as she counted the bloodstains. "And I have a feeling that the Selkath won't do this kind of laundry."

Carth bit back a laugh and shook his head. "I'd have to agree there, Gorgeous." Carth chortled, and Juhani's eyes narrowed at the exchange before she quickly turned her attention to her paws. Attachments were forbidden in the order- the episode with Quatra proved that. And yet, the council allowed this to occur between the Jedi and her pilot. Juhani took a deep breath to clear her head.

"Something wrong, Ju?" Aminta asked, glancing over at the Cathar, her attention diverted from Carth for the moment.

Juhani shook her head slowly. "No. Nothing is wrong," she replied softly. At Aminta's look she felt compelled to add something to her statement. "I just believe we should get what we came here for, and leave quickly. I find myself… at odds in this place," she improvised, and Aminta nodded, but chose not to comment.

"Well then, let's move on, shall we?" After they had decoded the pass card, Roland Wann had informed them of exactly what it was they were looking for. Apparently, a Republic droid that had contained vital information to their illegal Kolto harvesting had been stolen by the Sith. The republic didn't need the droid, but they did need the memory core. Thankfully, the core had been heavily encrypted and the Sith had not yet been able to decode it.

The trio slowly made their way through the halls, but encountered little to no resistance after their skirmish in the lobby. Finally, they came to a halt outside a large control room, and Aminta's head jerked back as something unknown whooshed at her.

_Three dark Jedi, surrounded by Sith soldiers working. They were unprepared for attack; just doing their jobs as they would everyday. But the sheer number of them was overwhelming. Everything became cloudy, and then, it all faded…_

…Into Carth and Juhani's worried faces. "I'm fine," she muttered, pushing the pair away from her. "Just a vision is all," she explained grudgingly, and Carth sighed with a shake of his head.

"Precognition?" Juhani asked softly, and Aminta's brow furrowed for a moment before she nodded.

"We'll have to use grenades to start off in there. If we just charge in…"

Juhani's eyes widened. "How many of them are there?"

"Minimum twenty."

Carth coughed and Juhani stiffened in response. Carth didn't question Aminta's judgment. He had learned while they were still on Dantooine not doubt what he had personally dubbed 'The Jedi Sense.'

"Fine. We'll use grenades first, and you can slip in with a stealth unit while I open fire from around the corner, and Juhani throws force powers at them. While their attention is diverted to us, cut down as many as you can while still in Stealth. Once you come out of it, Juhani will attack with her lightsaber." Carth proposed, and Aminta's eyebrows rose a notch.

"Good plan," she said simply, not wanting to let him know how impressed she actually was. "What do you think, Ju?"

Juhani nodded in agreement, and Aminta grinned at the pair. "Now you see me…" she activated her stealth unit. "…Now you don't."

Carth chuckled. "Clever. Now, get going."

"The day that I start taking orders from you is the day that Darth Revan comes back to life," she muttered under her breath, and Carth grimaced.

"Guess you won't start listening to me any time soon then, will you?"

Aminta said nothing, and rather, she slowly made her way around the corner and into the control room. It was filled just as it had been in the vision that she had received, and her attention locked on the Dark Jedi. The force swirled around them in dark currents, and was oddly comforting.

A tendril of the tainted force noticed her standing even in her invisibility, and slowly floated its way over to her. It spun around her slowly in twirls that threatened to seduce her to its will. It teased her, coming close but never close enough. She would have to reach out to it if she wanted to feel it… Suddenly, blaster fire interrupted its dark dance, and it was drawn quickly back to the Dark Jedi that it had come from. Aminta gasped and fell to her knees with its absence, overwhelmed by an emotion she couldn't quite define.

Resolutely, she pushed her way to her feet, shoving the thoughts that whirled in her skull to the back of her mind. The occupants of the room's attention had indeed shifted fully to Carth and Juhani, and Aminta forced herself to get her head into the battle. She watched as several of the soldiers fell by her allies' combined work, and waited until there were only a few of them left before she launched her attack on one of the Dark Jedi.

He whirled to face her attacks, almost as though he had been anticipating them. The dark currents that his aura exuded distracted her attention so that he landed several blows on her, even though she was invisible. She felt no pain; only the draw of the tendrils.

The dark Jedi smiled. "Ah, you are not a pawn. Come, join us and feel the power that the Dark Side brings," he murmured so softly that she could scarcely hear him, and a tendril came to tease her again.

_Tasya Desloncres, remember your duty! Do not succumb to the Dark Side. Do not join Malak and ruin all that you have worked so hard to achieve!_ Bastila's voice echoed throughout her mind, drowning out the thoughts of all else. Aminta began to fight then. She fought the Dark Jedi before her, but more importantly, she fought the darkness within herself.

As the clamor of battle fell silent, the war continued to rage in Aminta's mind. So this was the dark side… this alluring, heady sense that overcame a person, this feeling that was able to drown out all others. No wonder Bastila had been so preachy towards her on Dantooine.

Bastila…Bastila! _She knew my name. How could she have known that? I haven't told a soul about who I really am, so how in the galaxy…_

"Ami? Ami are you all right?" Carth's hand gripped her elbow, and the real world came crashing back to her.

Aminta pulled her arm away and nodded. "I'm fine. It's…. it's just a headache, that's all." She sighed softly and pressed her hands to her temples as she took a step away.

"Are you sure that's all it is?" Carth probed, and Aminta scowled, unable to handle his concern for the moment.

"There's the droid; I'll pry out the memory core. Could you and Ju keep a look out to be sure that no one's coming?" she asked, effectively dismissing the pair of them and giving herself the space that she needed. Carth frowned, but grudgingly did as she requested.

Alone once more, Aminta squeezed her eyes closed and breathed deeply. Too many thoughts came into focus once her eyes closed, and she widened them again with force. With a frustrated growl, she stalked over to the droid and ripped out the memory cord with little regard as to whether or not it stayed intact.

"We're going to go back to the Hawk. I'm not up to meeting Wann right now," Aminta informed her companions as she stalked out of the room, down the hall, and through the lobby. Her companions had little choice but to follow her in a pace that bordered almost on a sprint.

Their ride up the elevator was enveloped in a tense silence, until Carth ventured to break the silence.

"Well, I don't think we did half bad. I mean for a Cathar, a soldier, and a neophyte Padawan, anyways." he said, attempting for levity. He was met by an icy glare from Aminta and a raised eyebrow from Juhani. Wisely, he lapsed back into silence.

Aminta's emotions had been running so high that she had forced the vision that was coming towards her away, and she regretted that as the doors whooshed open. Some precog would have really come in handy for what she saw. A large group of Selkath stood before the exit of the elevator, their manner at once somber and filled with rebuke.

"You, Aminta Jae, are under arrest."

Aminta, unable to keep herself in check any longer, lashed out. "Under what charges?" she shouted, and the Selkath grumbled under their breaths and eyed her severely.

"For the infiltration of the Sith base and the murder of those within," intoned the Selkath in the front, seemingly unaffected by her outburst.

Aminta mumbled curses under her breath in several different languages, most of which Carth couldn't understand. But the ones that he was able to comprehend were foul enough for the hair on the back of his neck to stand on end. Coughing to cover the sound she made in the event that one of the Selkath could understand one of the various dialects that she was muttering in, Carth stepped forward.

"Do you have any proof of your accusations?" he demanded, and the Selkath met his eyes with a withering gaze.

"The camera feed that we have shows you entering the Sith Base, and coming out just after we received myriad calls for help."

Carth shrugged noncommittally, taking control of the situation. A glance behind him showed that Aminta was still…indisposed. "It was a coincidence."

"A likely story. You will have the chance to defend yourself in court, human. Your innocence or guilt will be decided there." The Selkath replied, his eyes on Aminta. The woman forced herself to nod stiffly, and then walked haltingly in their direction.

Carth squeezed her shoulder gently as she passed by him. "Think before you talk, Beautiful," he whispered, and she nodded slightly as she continued walking to the Selkath.

She glared at the Selkath when he held out a neural restraint, and adamantly shook her head. "I'll walk with you, but there is no way in the seven hells that you're putting that thing on me," she growled out fiercely. The Selkath ignored her protests, and fitted the piece over her head, immune to the force push that she threw in his direction.

Suddenly, all of Aminta's limbs were rendered useless: she could not bend her muscles to her will, and that included her tongue. All she was able to do was to follow the Selkath as they tugged her along in silence, although her eyes blazed with anger.

———————————————

Aminta sat on the floor of her energy cage, her legs crossed, and her elbows on her knees. Her fingers made rapidly tap-tap-tapping noises on her chin as she waited for her supposed lawyer to enter. _Some lawyer he'll be,_ she thought ruefully. _He'll probably just help to incriminate me, being a Selkath._

Just then, the door to the prison opened and yet another Selkath came in. Aminta had never thought of herself as a specieist before, but she was discovering that she bore a dark hatred for all things Selkath. This particular one, however, made his way over to her cage and stopped.

"I take it you're my lawyer," Aminta remarked dryly, pushing herself to her feet. "I'd shake your hand, but, you know…" she gestured to the buzzing energy fields around her.

The Selkath bowed his head, but Aminta was sure that it wasn't out of any sort of respect. He raised it again, and then met her eyes. ":Yes, I will be representing you at your trial,:" he said in the strange language where syllables sounded like running water. ":Now, as your representative, I must know: Did you infiltrate the Sith base and kill those within?:"

Aminta squared her shoulders. "Absolutely not."

If a Selkath could roll his eyes, this particular one would have. ":I think not. However, I will do my best to…:"

"No!" Aminta interrupted, her hands on her hips. "I'll be representing myself."

The Selkath twitched. ":I do not believe that would be a wise idea,:" he began, but once again, Aminta cut him off.

"I've been sitting in this cage for two days. I think I know what I'm doing. Now, it's my decision whether or not I should represent myself. I'm going to."

The Selkath sighed, and then nodded. ":It is your option. However, it would be…:"

"I've made up my mind," Aminta interrupted him again, her tone resolute. The Selkath merely shook his head and walked over to a guard. The pair whispered for a few moments, and then the lawyer exited as quickly as he had entered. The guard, however, made his way over to Aminta's cage and deactivated the fields.

"No neural suppressers," Aminta warned, but he slapped one over her temples before she could protest further. For the second time that week, she was dragged against her will to meet those that she had dubbed 'Fish boys.'

The walk was mercifully short, however, as the Selkath had thought to put the prison directly nest to the courthouse. When she was brought in, she realized that the judges were already there and waiting to hear her case. The looks on their faces, however, let Aminta know that they had already reached their verdict: Guilty.

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Sorry it ended so… short. I got sick of this chapter, and since its been two months since I last updated, I figured that I owed you guys something. Sorry that it isn't as long as it usually is.

Please be so kind as to review. Thanks guys. You're awesome.


	24. Chapter 24

"_Tasya! Tasya, come here!" a Deralian woman with blue eyes and a bright smile exclaimed with a hand extended towards her daughter. _

_Tasya giggled and ran to her mother, grinning as she was swept up into her mother's arms. Her mother tried to hold her close for a minute, but Tasya was excited and pushed herself back a little bit. A new load of animals had just arrived for her father's menagerie, and the little girl had always loved the creatures. Every time they came, they had exotic colors and patterns, and most often, they could sing. Her father always did love animals whose noises were as beautiful as they were. _

"_Look at that one!" Her mother pointed out a large animal with a strange combination of feathers, scales, and fur, whose coloring was bright blue, viridian, and burnt orange. Tasya's mouth dropped and she wrapped her arms around her mother's neck and hugged her tightly. _

_The creature's large beak and bulbous, reflective black eyes scared the child, and she drew comfort from her mother's presence. "Its scawy," she murmured softly, and her mother smiled as she gently bounced the little girl. _

"_No, really, it isn't honey. Look at all of the pretty colors. See how they all blend together, even though they are so different? Mommy would love to paint this one," her mother told the girl in an attempt to keep her from fear, and she succeeded. _

"_His colows are pwetty," Tasya admitted, raising her head just enough so that she could see the animal. Then, suddenly, her fear vanished. "Mama! Can I paint wif you?" she asked, her little forehead bunched with worry. _

_The woman laughed. "Of course, Punkin," the woman replied, and the little girl wriggled with excitement. Suddenly, she felt her mother stiffen, and turned her head. _

_Her father and his good friend Marne were walking up the path, obviously coming to see the animals too. Tasya looked between her mother and father, and felt torn. Her father didn't speak to her much, but she loved him as every little girl loves her father. However, she instinctively knew that neither her mother nor father liked each other. And Marne… Tasya wasn't quite sure what to make of him. _

_Her father nodded a greeting to her mother, but ignored Tasya. The little girl felt an ache rising in her chest, and she clung to her mother, closing her eyes tightly. When she opened them again, Marne was looking at her, smiling. It wasn't a very nice smile, the little girl thought. He didn't really look like he was very happy. _

_Her mother noticed Marne's gaze as well, and her arms tightened protectively around her youngest child. "If you'll excuse me," the woman told her husband as she bowed her head submissively, as a good wife aught to. Her father flicked his wrist, and her mother hurried away. Tasya frowned slightly, and looked up at her mother. _

"_Mama?" _

Aminta stopped midst ride, and braced herself against a wall. Before she had become a Jedi, memories would occasionally come to her, but never like that. Never so that she was actually there. But now that she was a Jedi… Aminta pushed the thoughts from her head, and continued walking resolutely towards the Hawk.

_This is all Bastila's fault. I haven't heard that name in years. Years! Not since Kael…_ Aminta pushed all thoughts of the man that she had loved from her mind as an aching sorrow descended over her. _…I didn't even let Oded call me that. Not even when we were alone._

Once again, a sense of loss overcame her as she thought about her brother- the one that had died with the three little girls on Taris. On his honeymoon. _Whoever would have thought that Oded would get married. He used to have a different girl on his arm every day!_ the thought with a smile. Then, she closed her eyes and grimaced, feeling foolish for thinking about her past at all.

_Bastila, I'm going to kill you,_ Aminta vowed, increasing her pace as she entered the hangar. She felt her anger simmering as she bounded up the ramp, nearly knocking over Mission in the process.

"Ami! Ami, you're okay!" the girl exclaimed as she regained her footing, and then threw her arms around Aminta's neck. Caught by surprise, Aminta stumbled backwards before catching herself. "It was taking so long I thought you were in trouble for sure!" the teenager cried out, and Aminta gently extracted herself from the girl's embrace.

"Easy, Mish. They couldn't have done anything to me."

Mission's eyes widened. "No?"

Aminta managed a smile despite her foul mood. "No. There wasn't any evidence that I did anything."

Mission's brows scrunched together. "The court told you that?"

"No."

Mission's face contorted in confusion, and another, slightly wider smile broke through Aminta's anger.

"I told them that. They had no choice but to agree and let me go. Now if you'll excuse me…" the woman said, sidestepping the teenager and entering the Hawk.

The girl frowned after Aminta's retreating back and then she sighed. "Big Z, let's go!" Mission called into the ship. "I'm starving!"

The Wookie nodded to Aminta as he passed her in the Common room in his rush to reach the exit ramp. Aminta barely even noticed him, and she continued on her way to the Women's dormitories. T-3 attempted to greet her, but she held out a hand and kept walking, leaving a confused droid in her wake.

Reaching her destination, Aminta flung open the door, startling Bastila out of her meditation. "What the hell did you think you were doing?" she demanded, striding inside and slamming the door shut behind her.

Bastila caught her breath, and smoothed her tunic unconsciously, fighting to maintain her serene image although she was laced with shock. "I don't…"

"Don't play dumb with me. You know what I'm talking about!" Aminta shouted, her fists bunching at her sides. "You had no right-"

"I had every right!" Bastila interrupted, her voice a bit too heated to sound like the perfect Jedi image that she had attempted to cultivate. "You were falling, or didn't you realize it? Do you know what-"

"If I fall, its my business, not yours!"

"It is so my damn business!" Bastila shouted, and then she flushed crimson. Aminta fell into a shocked silence and stared at the woman with her mouth agape. To hear Carth curse was one thing, to hear Canderous was expected. But Bastila… Aminta stared at the woman with wide eyes, and Bastila fidgeted under her gaze.

"If you fall, you take Juhani with you. And that is two more Jedi on Malak's side. Do you remember what Malak did? Do you want to serve under him?" Bastila continued quietly, attempting to keep what little remained of her dignity intact.

Aminta's eyes widened, and then narrowed. "Exactly how much do you know about me?" she asked after a minute, and Bastila dropped her gaze.

"More than you know," she murmured softly under her breath, and Aminta felt goose bumps begin to rise on her arms. A sense of the newfound precognition washed over her, and raised her defenses.

"What?" she asked, her voice sharp.

At length, Bastila lifted her clear, blue-gray eyes to meet Aminta's. "Everything," she replied, her voice still soft.

"How?" Aminta's voice was cold, and Bastila felt a touch of fear as she looked at the older woman.

Once again, Bastila's eyes dropped to the floor. "When we came to you with the offer of dropping all charges against you in return for your service in the Republic Military, we had done our research. We know all about your life, Tasya, Aminta, Re… whatever you want to be called." Bastila stumbled over the lie, but then again, she knew from the start that this mission would be full of them.

Aminta blinked, and then shook her head. "That's impossible. My ties are untraceable. At least the ties back to my birth family," she replied, her brows furrowing.

"Not for the Jedi."

Aminta felt her breaths come in quick gasps as she panicked. "Then you know about…and…about…" for once, the woman's facade of strength was stripped bare, and Bastila realized for the first time what Aminta was. A lonely woman who, when all pretenses were gone, was little more than a scared child.

And then, Bastila felt her heart warm towards the woman, could understand for the first time why she fell. Gently, she placed her hand on Aminta's shoulder, and when Aminta's head jerked up, Bastila managed to give her a slight smile. "I'll keep your secrets," she said softly, and then withdrew her arm.

Aminta frowned, and then nodded slowly before swiftly leaving the room.

——————————————————-

"Juhaini!" Aminta exclaimed, a hand flying to her chest as Juhani's form came out of the darkness. Juhani jumped at the cry, and then she quickly settled herself. "Gods, you scared me," Aminta breathed. "You shouldn't sneak up on people like that!"

"I am sorry," Juhani replied softly, turning away from Aminta and heading back towards the women's dormitories. For all that the woman had done for her, Juhani still felt uncomfortable in her presence. Aminta reminded her of… someone whom she had loved greatly, long before Quatra.

"Oh, Ju, before you go," Aminta's words intercepted Juhani's exit, and the Cathar turned back around almost reluctantly. "Zalbaar said that some of our food went missing from the Cargo hold. And I've been hearing these footsteps…" she paused, and then shrugged. "Do you have any idea what's going on?"

Juhani was silent for a moment. "I believe that you are very tired. I assume that you did not sleep while in custody of the Selkath, and you have not stopped moving since you have returned to the Ebon Hawk. Perhaps after you rest, you will no longer hear things."

Aminta frowned, but nodded. "And the food?"

Juhani gave a graceful shrug of her shoulders. "Perhaps Canderous has eaten some. Or the Twi'lek. Or perhaps it was miscalculated how much we have on board."

"Maybe," Aminta murmured, chewing on her lip.

"Aminta," Juhani interrupted the woman's wandering mind. "Get some sleep," she advised, and then turned away before walking to the hallway that led to the women's dormitories.

Once she was gone, Aminta sighed and rubbed her temples. "I'm not hearing things," she muttered to herself. "I'm not; I never do." Then, she ran a hand over her face and gave a short laugh. "I'm talking to myself now. Gods."

With that, she turned abruptly and headed towards the galley, where Bastila had a vast assortment of teas on hand. Supposedly, there was a kind somewhere in there that helped to induce sleep… Aminta sifted through the boxes filled with herbs and cursed. _If only I'd paid attention to this stuff when Vi tried to teach me…_

Vitaria Niele had been gifted with many things, interior design being one thing, and writing another. Quite often, Aminta had stayed up late at night reading one of the mystery novels that her friend had written. However, the woman's passion had been gardening, and she had a vast assortment of herb in the plot of soil allotted to her. She had loved making tea with the herbs she had grown, and had attempted to introduce Aminta to that love. Aminta had resisted, and now she wished that she hadn't.

Giving up, Aminta pushed the small tins back with disgust. She then rubbed her hands over her face with a groan, and leaned against the small countertop. _Like you'd be able to sleep anyway? The nightmares have been gone for a while, but with these vision's you've been having… Give it up, Jae._ With that thought, she pushed herself away from the counter and exited the galley.

She made her way up the hall, and headed towards the cockpit. At least there she could tinker with things; she would have gone to the garage to play with the engine a bit more, but she didn't feel like showering this late at night. The door was open, and Aminta noted wryly that Carth was still in the pilot's chair. He was snoring gently, and that sound combined with the familiar beeping of the consoles was somehow comforting.

Aminta took her place in the co-pilot's chair, drawing her knees close to her chest. She took care to be quiet, afraid that she would wake Carth. Once it seemed that he was in a relatively deep sleep, Aminta stared out the window and allowed her feet to plop to the floor.

The view was magnificent during the day, when the waves crashed against the strong walls of Ahto City and the sun streamed down over the ocean, making the waves sparkle and dance. At night, however, Everything was black. It would have been soothing to hear the crash of the waves- It was the sound that Aminta associated with home. The cliffs on Deralia were magnificently high, and the waves had pounded relentlessly against them just as they did against the walls of Ahto City. However, a thick pane of plastiglass separated her from the ocean, so she was unable to hear it.

Aminta closed her eyes and rested her head back against the seat with a sigh. _Deralia… I was so young when I left home. I shouldn't even remember half the things that I do. Maybe it was the force. Maybe I had it even then, and that is what made me remember everything…_

"Hey Beautiful," Carth mumbled from his position in his chair, a yawn punctuating his statement.

Aminta opened her eyes and lifted her head so that she could see him. "Hey flyboy. Did I wake you up?"

Carth shrugged, and stifled another yawn. "S'okay," he replied, his words slurred with sleep. "What're you doin' here?" he asked after he had forced himself awake, and Aminta shrugged.

"Couldn't sleep. I always did like the cockpit on nights like that."

"When you were smuggling?"

Aminta spared him a small smile. "Yeah."

Carth nodded and then yawned again. The cockpit once again descended into silence, and Aminta leaned her head back once more. The minute her eyes closed, her mind was assailed with images. The high cliffs and foamy waters; a sky of gorgeous, endless blue in the summertime; Fields so green and bright the grass nearly looked fake with its intensity… The tree with her initials engraved on it, the bench where her mother had told her stories…

_Mama,_ Aminta thought, and her eyes squeezed closed. _What are you doing now? Do you still think about me? I think about you. I try so hard not to, but… I could never forget you. I don't blame you Mama, not at all. You fought. I know that. Gods I know that…_

"What are you thinking about?"

Aminta's eyes snapped open and she looked over to Carth, who was sitting up straight at this point. She debated whether or not she should lie, and then decided to tell the truth. "My mother."

Carth smiled. "I think we all tend to do that," he admitted, and Aminta smiled back at him.

"What's yours like?" she asked after a moment, and Carth grinned.

"Oh, you know, always too protective; too overbearing. The woman has a tongue as sharp as a vibroblade. She's got Dad running around in circles half the time," he joked, and Aminta laughed softly. "She's a good woman though; she loved Dustil, helped Morgana raised him when I was off at war." Carth's face darkened, and he shook his head. "What about yours?"

Aminta broke eye contact and she glanced out the window. "I wouldn't really know. I haven't seen her in twenty years." An uncomfortable silence settled over the ship as Carth remembered why exactly it had been so long since she had seen her family.

"But, from what I remember, she was a quiet woman. Submissive…and sad. I never found out why. Not even the servants knew what had happened to her. But she was beautiful, and her voice…" Aminta paused. "I can't carry a tune, but when my mother sang, you were moved to tears."

"It must have been hard," Carth said softly after a moment, and Aminta's eyes glazed. Furiously, she blinked back whatever tears might have surfaced.

"Yeah," she replied in the dead, toneless voice that Carth had come to associate with all things painful to the woman. Carth was silent again, and Aminta closed her eyes to ensure that she wouldn't cry. She felt his approach through the force, so she wasn't surprised when he leaned over the co-pilot's chair and gently held her. Aminta didn't resist; she knew Carth well. He wasn't like her father, or Marne, or Korvo. He would never hurt her. So, instead of resisting, Aminta leaned against his chest and wrapped her arms around his neck.

Carth was taken aback for a moment. The only other time that she had even clung to him was when he had woken her from a nightmare. This was different. He knew that some of the conversations that he'd had with her had been painful, but she usually just shut herself off to emotion. That was when he realized that she must be very tired. If she were more awake, she would have left the cockpit by now.

With that revelation came another. Carth was exhausted. Since Aminta showed no sign of releasing him, Carth gently hooked an arm under her knees and lifted her up. Once again, he felt how slight her weight was and realized with dismay that the Selkath probably hadn't fed her much over the past three days. Any good that her eating had done her was now probably undone. But he wouldn't mention that now. Later. Definitely later.

Carth settled himself in the pilot's chair, and then lowered Aminta to his lap. Whereas normally, Aminta would have pulled away with a slight smile and taken her seat in the co-pilot's chair once again, she now rested her head on Carth's shoulder with a soft tired sigh. The position was comfortable for her, but one of Aminta's hairpins was digging into Carth's skin. Wincing, Carth shifted, causing Aminta to open her eyes and look up at him with a frown.

"How do you stand having those things in your hair?" he muttered, pulling the offending pin out and smiling with amusement as a dark curl fell out of the complicated knot to land just over Aminta's eye.

Aminta shrugged slightly. "I got used to it," she mumbled through a yawn as she plucked out several more pins, causing more ringlets to fall in various places about her head. Carth grinned through his own sleepiness at the sight, and then he helped her to remove the rest. Aminta was too tired to object.

Once they were all out, Carth handed the ones he held to Aminta, and she put them on the console. "Thanks," she mumbled, and then made herself comfortable against Carth's chest again. Carth smiled slightly down at her, and absently toyed with one of her curls as he leaned his head back with a yawn.

Aminta sighed softly with her eyes closed. Kael had done that, once upon a time. They'd often slept on the pilot's chair together, although her husband had often woken with a stiff neck when they did. _It's amazing how similar Carth and Kael are. Kael was handsomer to be sure, but…_ "You're so much like him," Aminta murmured past a yawn as she started to drift off.

Carth frowned. "Who?" he asked, but Aminta was already asleep. After a moment, he realized what she was talking about, and he looked down at the woman with sad eyes. "You're a lot like her too," he mumbled under his breath, and then stared out the window into the blackness. Suddenly, he wasn't quite so tired anymore.

—————————————————————

"I'm heading over to Wann's. Who wants to come with?" Aminta asked early the next morning. The crew of the Hawk were assembled in the common room, and the scent of caffa hung heavily in the air. Mission mumbled something under her breath, and then wrapped her fuzzy pink bathrobe tighter about her.

"I'll go," Carth volunteered, and Aminta nodded.

"Anyone else?"

Canderous leered at Aminta from over the rim of him caffa mug. "Nah. Take Republic out for a night on the town. Little girls like him love that sort of thing." He smirked at Carth, and then took another sip of his drink. Mission giggled, then glared at Canderous, and then giggled again.

"Mandalorian…" Carth muttered through gritted teeth, and Aminta scowled at the pair. Bastila rolled her eyes and returned to the galley to make herself a fresh cup of herbal tea.

"Will you two act like adults? Please?" Aminta muttered, glancing between the two men.

"They're guys, remember? They'll never act like adults," Mission pointed out before taking another sip of her caffa and drawing her legs to her chest. Zalbaar cuffed the girl on the back of the head and roared indignantly.

Aminta rolled her eyes. "I might just go by myself," she muttered under her breath and Carth sighed.

"Come on, Beautiful. Let's get moving."


	25. Chapter 25

"Shavit!" Aminta exclaimed, pounding the surface of Wann's desk with her fists. "Why didn't you give us all the information before we signed up for this?" she demanded, and Carth made a noise of warning.

Roland Wann stared up at the smuggler-turned-Jedi impassively, seemingly unaffected by her outburst. "Would it have altered you decision?"

"Hell, no!"

"Then I fail to see what the problem is," he countered smoothly, and Aminta's eyebrows rose to her hairline.

"You fail to see what the problem is? You sent us off to the Sith base with a promise that you'd give us a ride down to the Ocean floor…" she began, but Roland cut in.

"A promise that I have kept," he interjected, and Aminta gave him the darkest glare that she could muster before continuing.

"…but you conveniently forgot to inform us that every crew you send down there dies! That's two suicide missions so far! And we were only prepared for one of them! Do you send your troops into battle without warning them? What, by the gods, is wrong with you? I can't imagine how you could possibly…"

"Jae," Carth stepped in, his voice authoritative. Aminta's mouth dropped and her eyes narrowed when she realized that he was pulling rank with her. She lapsed into angered silence, throwing Carth a look that informed him that she would most definitely give him a talking to when out of earshot.

Carth smothered the sudden impulse to cringe. "What Padawan Jae is attempting to say, sir, is that had we known the risks, we would have arrived better armed and with a larger company."

Roland gave Carth an oily smile. "Well, that is what comm units are for," he replied easily, and Carth saw Aminta's whole body stiffen with rage.

"Of course, sir," he replied through gritted teeth as he spun on his heel and pulled Aminta away from the desk by her elbow. Once they had reached the exit of the Republic base, Aminta broke free from his grip and stopped in the middle of the hall way. "Why in the seven hells did you defend that son of a Kath?" she demanded angrily, drawing curious looks from passersby.

Carth smiled politely and waved and those who stared with an apologetic shrug of his shoulders. "I wasn't…"

"And what was that about? Ordering me around like you're my commanding officer?" Aminta continued, incensed.

"Technically…"

"Technically I'm in charge of this mission!"

"You may outrank me at the enclave, but in a republic base, I most certainly outrank you."

"Why you no good, rancor breath, hairless Wookiee! And here I thought…" Aminta exclaimed, her nostrils flaring with the injustice of it all. Several more people stopped and stared.

"Care to keep your voice down?" Carth hissed, and Aminta followed his gaze to the onlookers. Quickly, she made a rude gesture to the mass, and the appalled crowd dispersed. "Honestly!" Carth exclaimed, staring at the youthful, graceful hand that had previously seemed incapable of such obscenity.

"You agree with that snivguld?"

"Hell, no, but I can see his point," Carth exclaimed, his own temper aroused. Aminta's eyes narrowed and she took a defensive stance. Carth saw and groaned. "Can't you just be rational for one damn second?"

"I'm always rational," she replied, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Like hell, you are!"

"If you have such a problem with me, go back to Telos!"

"Maybe I will!"

The pair stared at each other for a second, chests heaving, nostrils flaring. Then, Aminta broke the tension with a bout of laughter. "We sound like an old married couple," she noted with a slight toss of her head, and Carth's anger disappeared as he grinned in agreement.

"We need to contact the crew; see who can make it here reasonably soon," Carth said, drawing Aminta's attention back to the situation at hand.

"Don't bother asking. Just tell T-3 to high tail it down here. And please, make sure that he doesn't tell anyone why he's needed."

Carth nodded, pulling out his comm. "Just out of curiosity, why T-3?"

"Because you and Canderous will kill each other, Zalbaar's useless when water's around, I don't want to put Mission in any more danger than she's already in, I'm pissed at Bastila, and Juhani…well, she just doesn't feel right." Aminta clarified her voice carefully neutral.

"I see," Carth said, hiding his amusement, and then spoke into the comm. "T-3. We need you down at the Republic base pronto. Bring some extra gear while you're at it." T-3 began to chirp out a response, but Carth cut the feed. "I can't understand a thing that droid says," he informed Aminta sheepishly when she raised a brow.

"For what it's worth, he said that he's on his way. He was trying to ask exactly what kind of gear you wanted when you rudely cut him off."

"It won't get its feelings hurt. It's a droid. It doesn't even have feelings."

"_He _definitely does," Aminta countered, and the pair realized belatedly that they had fallen into the he-it argument that they'd had many times before.

"Never mind," Carth replied quickly, unwilling to be drawn into another fight, much less one that dealt with the sex of a droid. "So, what did Bastila do now?" Carth asked, swiftly changing the subject to what he perceived to be safer territory. Instead of the light comment that he'd been anticipating, he saw Aminta's lips tighten into a thin line.

"She just did what Bas does best," she replied thinly, and Carth frowned. However, by the set of her jaw, he knew better than to inquire further.

"So… what do you think is making all of the scientists disappear?" he asked, attempting to ease the tension that swirled thickly through the air.

"Maybe the ocean floor is haunted," Aminta replied dryly, and Carth gave her a bland look.

"I was being serious."

"Sorry." She sighed, and pulled lightly at the end of her vest, fiddling with the zipper. "I have no idea. Wann gave us nothing to go on. I'd like to give that son of a Kath hound a good piece of my mind," she muttered, and Carth chuckled.

"I think you already did."

"He wasn't intimidated."

Carth smiled. "Not everyone is afraid of you."

"What? You're not?" Aminta replied, a delicate eyebrow arched.

"Oh, I'm terrified. You have me positively shaking in my boots."

Aminta hit him playfully, and sighed. "Whatever am I going to do with you?" she murmured under her breath. Carth smiled at the question, and rested his hands lightly on her hips.

"Well…" he began, and Aminta gave him a look hard enough to silence him.

"We tried that once already. Things didn't really work out, remember?" she reminded him, and Carth smothered a self conscious laugh and prayed to the Gods that the stubble on his face hid his flushing cheeks.

"I was joking," Carth replied in his defense, and Aminta's eyes squinted with humor as she suppressed a grin.

"Should I take that as an insult?"

"Of course not," Carth replied indignantly.

"So you really do want to sleep with me?" she replied, baiting him, and delighting in watching him squirm.

"That's not what I…" Carth rolled his eyes heavenward, as though seeking guidance. "You have got to be the most difficult woman that I've ever had to get along with."

"Charmed," Aminta replied dryly.

Carth sighed sharply and raked a hand through his auburn hair. "Where is that trash compactor anyway?" he wondered aloud, and Aminta shrugged.

"Astromech droids aren't designed for speed. Poor little T-3 can only go so fast."

"Poor little T-3. We all love him so much," Carth mumbled under his breath in frustration. Just then, the familiar mechanical sound of Aminta's droid approached them. He let out a series of cheerful beeps, and Aminta grinned broadly.

"He says he missed you too," Aminta replied smugly as she took several grenades from T-3's compartments and added them to her stash. "Aren't you glad that our little friend cares about you?"

Carth grumbled something incoherent under his breath, and watched Aminta install several new upgrades into the droids hardware in a matter of seconds. "I don't know why the Jedi assigned you to soldier duty," Carth observed when she straightened. "You'd make a great Republic tech."

Aminta gave him a slight smile. "I won't have time for that once I'm free….er, once we find all of the star maps. I'm going back to smuggling," She said as they began walking back into the Republic base.

"So you're still stuck on that absurd plan?"

Aminta's eyes narrowed slightly. "It isn't absurd."

"It will lead to your arrest," Carth reminded her, and Aminta lifted her chin and gave him a smug smile.

"Well, aren't I lucky that I have a friend who's a captain? I'm sure you could acquit me." She batted her eyelashes, and gave him her most charming grin.

"I don't use the law to my advantage," Carth replied dryly, and Aminta raised a brow.

"No?"

"No."

Aminta sighed. "What a shame. I thought you were a better man than that." She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye, and watched his eyes roll.

"What would make me a better man than making sure that law and order remain in the galaxy?"

A corner of Aminta's lip lifted slightly. "I can't believe you'd sentence your friend and one time lover to death."

Carth squirmed. "Will you stop bringing that up?"

"What, that you're my friend?" Carth gave her a look and Aminta grinned. "You were the one who brought it up."

"I did no…" Carth huffed out a ragged breath, and looked heavenward. "Look, even if I wanted to help you out, I couldn't. I don't exactly have that kind of power."

Aminta sighed. "Well, there goes Plan A."

Carth stared at her furrowed brow for a moment, and felt his stomach clench. "You're using me, he said flatly. It was a statement, not a question, and upon hearing it, Aminta softened.

"No, I'm not," she replied, and then gently touched his arm. "You're probably one of the best friends I've ever made. Hell, you're practically family to me." She smiled, and then said emphatically, "I'd never use you. Promise."

Carth gave the woman a small smile. "I'm going to have to hold you to that."

"I expected you would," Aminta replied with a broad grin. "So, this is the way to the sub, right?" She asked, pausing before a durasteel door. At Carth's nod, she typed in the code that Wann had given her earlier, and the door slid open with a mechanical hiss. The pair entered the hallway, T-3 rolling behind. The halls echoed eerily, and Aminta felt a shiver of foreboding go down her spine.

The threesome was silent as they continued onwards, and after turning several bends they arrived in a large chamber. Several submarines floated on the surface of ink black water in the cavernous man-made space. Carth whistled lowly. "Something tells me that the Selkath would not be too happy if they found out about this place.

"No kidding," Aminta replied, and T-3 whistled in agreement. She shook her head and then sighed. "Let's hurry. The faster we find the star map, the faster we get to leave this planet."

"Is it that horrible to have to follow the rules?"

Aminta gave Carth a look that made him chuckle. "Yes," she retorted before making her way towards one of the subs. Upon reaching the landing platform, a republic soldier looked her over wearily.

"Are you the ones that Wann sent?" he asked slowly, glancing the trio over before looking down at the screen of his data-board. Aminta nodded in response, and the soldier typed a note into it quickly. "I hope you'll make it back," he said after the notation was finished. "Alive," he grumbled under his breath, and Aminta frowned.

"You have any idea what's down there?" she prompted, and the man shook his head.

"Lady, if we knew what in the seven hells is going on, don't you think we'd have done something by now?"

Carth gave a brief nod. "Point taken."

"No use wasting time then," Aminta said, climbing onto the sub's sleek surface and then dropping down through the hole at the top. "Come on, Carth," she called. "And help T-3 get down here," she added as she descended the ladder.

Carth gave the soldier a half hearted wave before he followed the woman, T-3 close on his heels. By the time he'd managed to get the blasted astromech droid into the belly of the sub, Aminta had gotten it ready to go, and her hand hovered near the controls. She glanced up at him as he entered the control room, and pushed the button to descend. "Took you long enough."

"You try carrying that droid."

Aminta sighed slightly as she gripped the levers, tightening and releasing her grip experimentally. "Do you know how to work this thing?" Carth asked after a moment, and Aminta scowled.

"What, you think that I can't?"

"You're the Jedi. I'm the pilot," Carth reminded her, and Aminta's frown deepened.

"Sit down, flyboy," she grumbled, and surveyed the controls once more. "It's just like driving a speeder."

"Not really," Carth replied dryly as he took his place in the co-pilot's chair. He looked out the thick plastiglass window, and felt his stomach jump with nerves when he realized just how deep they were getting.

"Have you ever driven a sub?"

"No."

"Then can it." Aminta checked the levels, and then grinned slightly. "Let's go faster."

Carth frowned deeply. "Ami, I don't think that's a good…" his flow of words stopped as the sub dove down at record speed. Aminta dodged the obstacles of the ocean floor with the same ease that she had driven the swoop bikes several days prior. By the time that they had surfaced in the secret Republic Base, Carth's knuckles had turned white by the force of his grip on the edge of his seat.

Aminta grinned, and glanced over her shoulder at T-3. "You all right back there?" she asked, and the droid let out a series of cheerful beeps and whirs.

"You've spent too much time around Mission," Carth grumbled under his breath. "You're acting more and more like a teenager with every day that passes." He un-strapped himself and stood with the ease of a seasoned spacer.

"Well, we all need to lighten up every now and again," Aminta replied with a slight shrug as she too extracted herself from her seat. Then, she took a deep breath and let it out harshly. "Time to find out what in the seven hells in going on down here," she said after a few moments, and Carth nodded briefly in agreement as he rested his hand over his blaster.

The pair climbed up the ladder and out of the sub, pulling T-3 between them. The hatch opened with a hiss as Aminta exited, and she stopped to survey her surroundings while still in the safety of the sub. "It's quiet," she noted softly to Carth, and T-3 let out a series of warning beeps. "We'll be fine, T-3. Besides, I brought you plenty of repair kits," Aminta replied absently as she continued to scan the docking bay through inky blackness.

"Come on. The longer we stay here, the longer it will be until we can leave," Carth prompted, lightly pushing Aminta upwards and out of the sub.

"Or until we die," she replied with a slight smile, and Carth narrowed his eyes.

"Not funny, Jae." T-3 beeped in angrily in agreement, and Aminta held up her hands in surrender as she swung her legs out and landed on the durasteel platform.

"Yeah, you're right. Not the time or place," she agreed, and then sighed as she helped Carth get T-3 onto the dock. Once settled, T-3 let out a happy whir, and began to roll forward.

"Tell that tin can to get armed, will you? You never know what could be lurking around the corner."

Aminta smiled. "Paranoid, much?" She then turned to the droid. "Get your flame thrower out, T-3." she commanded, and the droid quickly obeyed her command.

"Not paranoid, careful." Carth replied dryly as he drew his blasters and began to follow the droid. Aminta snorted in response.

The clanging of their footsteps on the metal dock made eerie, echoing noises that set all three on edge in the emptiness of the cavernous space.

"Sounds like something out of a ghost story, doesn't it?" Aminta asked after a moment, twirling her lightsaber in her hand, noting the way the twin blades of light pierced through the darkness.

"What does?"

Aminta grinned. "Oh, you know. One team after another dies of a mysterious cause in a creepy underground lair, and a group of heroes go down to discover what's behind the deaths."

Carth spared a smile. "It does sound like something the gang would go after," he conceded, and Aminta frowned.

"The gang?"

Carth stared at her. "The gang. You know. Dooby Scoo?"

"Dooby what?"

Carth's eyes widened. "Dooby Scoo! It's a holovision show. There's Dooby Scoo, the Kath hound, Snaggy, the doped Twi-lek, Neddy, the macho man…"

"Never heard of it."

"That's all I watched when I was a kid!"

Aminta's smile grew. "Oh, that's why. So this was like, when paperback novels were still in existence? "

"Funny, Ami," Carth muttered.

"Whoo beep boo boop!" T-3 chirped, and Aminta grinned.

"What'd it say?" Carth demanded.

"He said that paperback novels came out _after_ you developed a severe case of paranoia."

"It did not say that! It isn't smart enough. That comment was all you, sister."

T-3 beeped in protest at being slighted, and Aminta clucked her tongue in sympathy. "He's just jealous that he isn't as smart as you are, T-3." Aminta reassured the droid, and grinned cheekily when Carth glared at her.

"Cute, Ami," he replied dryly, and walked ahead. "About as cute as a Gammorean's mother."

"So now you're stealing my lines?" she replied with a smile, remembering when they had traversed the sewers in Taris months before. Things had certainly changed since then. She was a _Jedi_. Her nose scrunched up in distaste at the thought, and Carth caught the expression.

"What?"

"Just thinking of my occupation," Aminta replied with a slight frown, and Carth grinned at her.

"Is it really so bad? I mean, you get pretty much unrestricted access to the republic base, you get to travel,"

"…And I have no freedom," she finished, and Carth shrugged slightly.

"You will in a few more months."

"Longer than that. Look how long it has taken already! Almost five months, not including Taris." She sighed softly. "Almost a year's gone by since the Spire."

"Seven months," Carth corrected automatically, and Aminta shrugged.

"It's been a long time."

"No kidding," Carth replied with a bland smile. "You have nothing to worry about though. I'll bet you that by the one year anniversary of the Spire's crash, everything will have blown over. You can go back to being just a smuggler again and forget that any of this Jedi business ever happened."

A corner of Aminta's lips tilted upwards. "Somehow I doubt that will be an option for me."

"Of course it is! They themselves said…"

Aminta shook her head. "Carth." When he stopped speaking and met her eyes, she continued. "As much as I hate it, I'm a Jedi now, and I have all of the powers of a Jedi knight. I have premonition, Carth."

"So…" Carth fumbled for words, his brow creased deeply. "You can see into the future?"

"I'm a Jedi, not a medium." She paused, and drew her lip between her teeth. "I see glimpses of things, I feel strong emotions that I can understand but can't define." She drew a breath and paused again. "It scares me sometimes," she admitted softly, facing forward as she twirled her lightsaber.

Carth said nothing, knowing that silence was best. It wasn't often that Aminta opened up to him like this… in fact, he couldn't remember a time when she had ever let on that she was afraid.

"And I know that something big is going to happen at the end of all this. I don't know what, but it is going to be something life shattering…" she trailed off, and then shook her head slightly. "Do you know what scares me even more? The second I met Bastila, I had this feeling. It was like I knew my whole life would change because of her. And that was before I was trained to be a Jedi."

Aminta paused and then forced a smile. "Good thing you're not a doctor. You'd probably have me committed by now," she joked lightly, and Carth blinked several times.

"How life shattering?" he asked after a moment, and Aminta stared straight ahead.

"It will tear everything apart at the seams." She then turned, and looked straight into his eyes. "Everything."

Carth felt a shudder run down the length of his spine, and he could tell that Aminta realized his unease by her sudden shift in posture and expression. "But that's a hundred tomorrows away." she concluded after a moment, purposefully brightening her tone and kicking herself for saying anything at all.

"Yeah," Carth agreed eager to leave the touchy subject behind them. The pair fell into a subdued silence for a time, the darkness of the halls lit only by the light of Aminta's twin violet blades.

"Where is everyone?" Aminta murmured under her breath as she scanned the area. There were no corpses, no real evidence of a struggle besides several blaster-scorched areas on the walls. In short, there was no way to be sure that the crews had even arrived in the right place.

"Maybe there's something behind one of these doors," Carth noted, indicating the sealed durasteel doorways that lined the halls.

"Worth a look," Aminta agreed, deactivating her lightsaber and pulling a hairpin out of the complicated knot at the back of her head in order to pick the lock.

A horrible, ear piercing screech greeted her, and both Aminta and Carth clapped their hands over their ears to dull the sharp edge of the sound. "What the hell!" Carth screamed over the noise, and Aminta let out a string of curses in Deralian that could set even a Rodian on edge.

A form lurched out of the blackness, and Aminta barely re-activated her lightsaber in time to ward off a blow. "Get out in the hall, Carth!" Aminta commanded. "I'm going to need you to help me from a distance," she shouted over the constant screams as she twirled her lightsaber around in a quick, tight circle. Carth quickly complied, and was relieved that his blasters were equipped with infrared sensors. If they hadn't been, he wouldn't have known where in the galaxy to shoot.

"T-3! Where is that flame thrower?" Aminta demanded, thrusting her lightsaber forwards and making contact with flesh. The sickly sweet scent of a cauterized room quickly filled the air, and a lesser woman would have gagged. T-3, meanwhile, shot a burst of flames through the air, scorching several more of the attacking creatures.

Aminta reached out through the force, and felt the positions of the remaining attackers. Four remained, and all were advancing on her. "T-3! Aim to your right. Carth, nab the one to the far left!" Aminta ordered, swinging her lightsaber in a wide arc as one of the creatures launched itself at her. As the next one approached, she lifted her hand to perform a stasis. However, she felt the attacker slough it off as though it were nothing.

"Shavit, shavit, shavit!" Aminta shouted, the curse getting progressively louder. She felt a rush of air over her shoulder from Carth's blaster, and the nearest form fell.

"What's wrong?" Carth demanded, and Aminta whirled to face him.

"They're force sensitive!" she called back as she continued to twirl her lightsaber from first her left hand, and then her right, and then back again. The quick movement caused a beam of light to move around her, giving her temporary vision in the inky blackness of the undersea republic base.

T-3 let out another stream of fire at the same time that Aminta thrust her blade out and to the side. The screaming stopped abruptly, and both Aminta and Carth sighed with relief. "What the hell were those things?" Carth muttered, grabbing Aminta's bag from the floor where she dropped it and pulling out a pair of night vision goggles.

Aminta eyed them with frustration. "Now why didn't we think of that before?" she demanded, grabbing the one he offered to her and quickly strapping it around her head.

Carth shrugged in response. "Well whatever they were, they sure had one insane scream. I've never heard anything so…"

"Carth," Aminta interrupted, and Carth frowned as he finished strapping the night vision goggles on. "You're not going to believe this," Aminta said, indicating the corpse that she was kneeling besides.

"What?" he asked crossing over to where she knelt and joining her. When he saw the corpse, he involuntarily backed away. "What the…"

"Selkath. Looks like this planet just got a whole lot more interesting"


End file.
